Defender: A Terran Times Tale Read online

  She swallowed. “I was going to try, but I was not confident that I could manage it. I could have used the base’s tech but that would have involved Lilli and her community, as well as more explanations. Time was a factor.” Alder opened his mouth and closed it tightly, the set of his lips telling her that this was not the last she had heard of this.

  He stepped aside and let the healer take a look.

  The woman hissed in sympathy and took out a few jars and gauze swabs. “How did you come by this?”

  “I was struck by a standard blaster. Only one strike managed to hit while ten other went through me.”

  Alder frowned. “Through you?”

  “They didn’t hit me. They hit the blast shielding behind me. I am guessing that the shift in my solidity wore off and I might even have been sliced by a chunk of the station as it blew.” She shrugged. “It happened so fast.” The healer shook her head and dabbed the wound with a salve, cleansing the scorched flesh away and numbing the area.

  She shivered and tried to see what the healer was doing, but the woman’s head was in the way.

  Unable to do anything else, Scotia started to hum.

  A few songs rippled through her mind, and she hummed softly as the healer did most of the work with her bottles and only a teeny bit of healing with her talent.

  “Where do the creams come from?” Scotia felt that light chitchat was called for.

  “The jungle, lady. The jungle provides what we need and gives us the means to trade and flourish.”

  “Funny, I haven’t heard anything about trade or the traditions of your village.” She gave Alder an accusing look.

  He stood with his bare feet apart and a wrap in place around his hips. His arms were crossed, and he was watching the healing carefully. “We were busy.”

  She chuckled and then hissed as the healer prodded the skin to test the seal.

  “Well, I am done here. Your energy is strong despite your exertions. Bael Alder, keep an eye on her. We don’t want her to overdo it. I will check on her in a few days if you do not call for me sooner.”

  The healer nodded and left the room via the door.

  Two older Ikanni came in, and Aldeen ran to them. “Mom, Dad, this is Scotia. Scotia, these are our parents, Alora and Heen.”

  “Madam and Mister Whiccan, pleased to meet you.” Scotia hopped down from the table and swayed alarmingly. She wrinkled her nose, but Alder soon had his arm around her waist for support.

  Alora came forward with a smile and her hands outstretched. She was taller than Scotia by four inches, and it confirmed to the Terran that most Ikanni women were larger than humans.

  “Welcome, daughter. You look wonderful, but then, Aldeen told us she would help you with proper clothing.” Alora touched her forehead to Scotia’s, and when she stood, she smiled brightly.

  “She was very helpful. I wouldn’t have looked nearly this tidy if not for her.” Heen took her hands in his, and she could feel callouses on the long, dark fingers. “We are very glad to have you with us. Alder had been quite a pain in the ass when it came to courtship. Have patience with him.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “Call me Heen or father. Call Alora mother, though she dreams of being a grandmother one day.”

  Alder’s voice barked out a sharp rebuke.

  “Father!”

  Heen grinned. “Fine. Pushing my luck. Got it.” He released her hands with a kiss to each one.

  “Can’t blame me for trying.”

  Scotia was blushing furiously. “Yes, I really can.”

  Alder nodded. “You have met her, now leave or we will.”

  Alora scowled. “You can’t go running around with her after her injury. She needs to stay in town.”

  “Fine, she will stay, you will go.” He scowled, resembling his mother in the extreme. “Now!”

  His family laughed and disappeared in an instant.

  He lifted her by the arm around her waist, and he carried her upright to a room at the back of whatever home they were in.

  His bedroom was surprisingly bright. Corals, yellows, blues and greens contrasted against scarlet and black. She laughed. “It is a tropical garden.”

  He smiled as he settled her on a fantastically splashed bedcover. “And you are the loveliest flower I could find.”

  It sounded cheesy until she saw the sincere admiration in his eyes. She knew at that point there was no going back.

  Chapter Seven

  Light filled her heart as she spent one moment of one day just reacting and not thinking. It was such a relief not to worry about getting caught or injuring someone else in her day’s work that when Alder pressed her back to the covers, she went willingly.

  She didn’t ask one of the thousand questions rippling through her mind. She didn’t ask what happened next, what if they weren’t compatible, what if she wasn’t up to being his lover, what would she do the next day? The questions piled up one after another, and she pushed them all aside as he took her into his arms.

  Alder kissed her until the tiny bits of resistance in her faded. She bent one leg, stroking his thigh with the inside of hers. Her leg dragged his wrap up, and she arched her hips as his erection prodded between her thighs.

  She caressed his chest, dragging her nails lightly over his nipples before stroking down his abdomen, learning the strange musculature of his body. It was all in the right places but slightly different formations than she was used to.

  The cock that she wrapped her hands around was blessedly familiar. A few strokes of her hands and he gripped her arms one at a time, pinning them above her head with one of his own.

  “Stay put. I don’t want this getting out of hand, so to speak.” He reached between her thighs and stroked her sex with two fingers, coaxing her to open for him.

  She squirmed as the fabric around her waist bunched, but the front tie made it easy for him to gain access.

  She lifted her hips and parted her thighs to ease the entry of those two fingers that circled and teased at her folds.

  He leaned down and moistened the fabric of her top with his tongue. Her nipple was outlined in damp scarlet as he took it into his mouth, and he sucked hard at the same time he plunged two fingers into her as far as he could.

  She arched as her mind went blank and pleasure rolled through her. Her breath caught on a gasp and a low moan exited as deep shudders rippled through her.

  He slid and thrust his fingers into her, moving them back and forth over the front wall of her channel until she stiffened against his hand again and a sob broke free.

  He moved from her left breast to the right while she writhed under his attentions. Sweat coated her skin by the time Alder shifted and rubbed his cock along her folds. He thrust into her hard and fast.

  His body caressed hers with every move, every slide, every quick rock of his hips into her. She twisted against his confining hand, but he held her in place as he bit softly at her neck and plunged against her wet heat.

  She shivered weakly as her body peaked for the third time and a low moan shuddered out of her, matched by his long groan and the sharp bite of his teeth on her shoulder.

  Scotia was exhausted. She relaxed under him and inhaled the scent of sweat and sex while her body hummed happily.

  She wasn’t sure what the Heshi thought about sex, but it definitely enjoyed the after effects.

  Alder released her arms, but she couldn’t move them anyway. After the events of the past few days, she decided that moving was overrated.

  Alder rolled to one side and tucked her against him.

  “Aldeen is going to kill you for ruining those clothes.” He chuckled and murmured against her neck.

  “I will blame you. She will understand.” She weakly stroked his slick back.

  “I think you are right.”

  She laughed and kept the lazy motion of her hand against his skin. It was so soothing that she let her arm continue as her mind went blessedly blank once again.

  * * * *
r />   The scent of food woke her. Her stomach growled in complaint, and she sat up, dropping a sheet to her waist. She was naked, and her red clothing was nowhere to be seen.

  A brilliant violet set was draped at the foot of the bed, and she followed Aldeen’s instructions carefully, approximating the graceful drape that her sister-in-law had achieved.

  The violet made the blue of her eyes pop and her hair shone a sparkling gold against it. She attended to other matters and did a quick tidy up in the lav, but after that, she went in search of a meal.

  An older woman whose sarong covered quite a bit more than Scotia’s did was setting the table.

  “Ah, Miss Scotia. I’m Hasja, the housekeeper. Please have a seat. Bael Alder is doing his rounds right now.”

  “Rounds?”

  “Of course, miss. Everyone has their task. Bael Alder has to attend to town matters before he returns to you.”

  Scotia blinked. “I see. I am guessing that I will have to find something useful to do. My talent doesn’t lend itself to daily use, and my previous job doesn’t exist here.”

  “You are Bael Alder’s wife. It is enough of a task to earn your keep.”

  Scotia frowned. “I am not simply going to be someone’s wife, Hasja. I need to be useful.”

  “Being Bael Alder’s wife is useful. It might abate some of his moods and help with the fishing. He gets in a mood and the fishing goes out the window.” Hasja set a tray of dishes down to Scotia’s left and filled her plate with a variety of foods.

  “Yes, but it would be a little annoying for me to not have anything to do all day but wait for him.” Hasja paused. “Well…”

  “For example. Do you have family?”

  “A long time ago, miss. They are grown and have their own lives. I am enjoying my current duties as housekeeper.” She smiled.

  “So, you needed something more than to just wait for someone to make you useful.” Hasja chuckled. “I see your point. Well, if you can’t find a useful application for your talent, you are best off seeking a position fitting your status as the Bael’s mate. Perhaps Bael Alder can help you find something useful to do with your time.” She lifted the eating prong and carefully tasted the first few bites before moving on with confidence.

  “Are you enjoying the stew?”

  She swallowed. “Yes, pardon my slowness, please. I am getting used to Ikanni foods. It will be a process that takes a few weeks.” Hasja paused. “I hadn’t thought of that. A whole new world. You have actually been to other worlds. It is something that most Ikanni dream of in passing, knowing that the Heshi will never let us leave.”

  “Why not?”

  “Despite their wanting to live and die, they do not wish to be parted from their own kind, which is something the Ikanni understand very well.” Alder came in with a gust of wind following, his hair back in a ponytail. “Scotia! You are awake.”

  He walked up to her and gave her a kiss. She smiled and patted his cheek. “Have a seat, Alder. I am eating here.”

  He laughed and took up the seat next to her, “May I tell you about my day?” She nodded and kept eating while Hasja filled Alder’s plate and then started to wash dishes.

  Alder finished his meal while she was still working on a stick of something that was sweet and tasted like pickles. That was a flavour that was going to repeat on her for a while.

  He had told her about meeting with Bael Orriko and Lilli. “It went fairly well except Bael Lillibeth kept trying to order me to give you back, and Orriko had to keep his hand over his mate’s mouth.”

  “Why?”

  “Her talent is command. You cannot refuse her.”

  Scotia whistled softly. “Damn. That is a helluva thing.”

  “I am aware. Bael Kaia has a projecting blade that she can use as knife or as harvester. She took out an incoming Raider ship with one.” He sounded admiring.

  She snorted. “And I get stuck with a stupid molecular dispersal. Useless.” Scotia was slumping in her chair and Hasja cleared her place while she muttered to herself.

  “Oh, miss. I forgot to mention. Baels Lerock and Hislar brought some bags of clothing for you as well as personal effects. Salvage, they called it.” Hasja spoke over her shoulder.

  Alder pointed. “Over there.”

  Scotia got to her feet and made it to the corner as fast as she could. She smiled at the gown she had gotten from another friend, the lavender gown with the metal breastplate for the right side.

  It was a very Grecian-style gown and completely charming if she forgot that her friend had been mutated into a goddess close to seven feet tall.

  It was her music that she was after. The data crystals and player that she had paid for with her hard blown-up wages were at the bottom of the bag, a little scorched but intact. She shrieked happily when music started to play. “Oh baby, I missed you.” She cradled her player and rocked it in her arms.

  Alder came up and peered over her shoulder.

  “What is that?”

  “My music from home. It is my favourite thing that I brought with me. I loaded all the data chips with current music, and then, I left my world. Just hearing it makes me feel at home no matter where I am or how strange my environment. It pulls me back to home and from there, I can do anything.” He pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “Well, in that case, I think you should listen to some music and then come with me for the village’s evening swim.”

  “What kinds of predators are in that water?” Her dreams of jaws were still occasional, even at her age.

  “There are large eels, but they stay away from the shallows most of the time.”

  “Anything else?”

  “The reefs keep most large predators out in the open water.” He grinned. “If you are nervous, you can hang onto me.”

  She snorted. “You would like that, wouldn’t you?”

  He pressed a kiss to her shoulder. “Oh yes, I would.”

  She laughed and ran her hand through his snow-white hair. “Let’s get going before I change my mind. Where did you hide my swimsuit?” His grin was inscrutable, so she got to her feet and went hunting for something practical to wear.

  Chapter Eight

  The laughter and shrieking of children greeted her the moment that they walked through the village to face the beach.

  The colour of the tropics was on every body.

  Men were standing next to women, others were involved in a variety of sports and games.

  “You do this every day?” Scotia looked around her with wonder. The entire village was frolicking and lazing about in the late afternoon sun.

  “Of course. We work during the day, and we take joy in our society every evening.” Three hundred Ikanni men, women and children were on the beach and half of them stopped to stare at Scotia and Alder as they approached.

  It was the children that broke the ice, running up to Scotia and touching her skin. “Why are you this colour?”

  She smiled. “A different world, a different sun and a different species. Like the fish are different colours, I am a being of a different design.” There were a dozen children, and they started peppering her with questions as Alder led her toward an open spot on the beach where he flipped out a bright blanket.

  She settled next to him, and he watched in amusement as a circle of dark faces formed around her and the questions continued.

  Finally, the one question she was dreading came up. “Can you swim, miss?” Alder chuckled as she nodded. “I can.” Small hands pulled at her arms and tugged her into the surf to play. It took a little getting used to, but she was swinging the children and letting them drop into the shallows under the watchful eyes of the parents with no one complaining.

  Alder took to the sea and swam gracefully into the deeper water while she continued with the littles.

  Her arms were heavy from lifting the little ones, so she sat in the shallows and let the small girls play in the waves of her hair. The boys got bored and moved into deeper water.

  A ner
vous tick started in Scotia’s chest. “Excuse me, girls.” She got to her feet and scanned for danger. The pressure inside her chest grew heavier until it electrified her skin. The water stopped pushing on her, and when she heard the cry, she moved at a speed that shocked her.

  Alder was using a wave to push a tangle of eels back over the reef, but one of the thick bodies had passed him.

  One of the boys was in the path of a dorsal ridge cutting through the water. Scotia got to him first and threw him back toward the shallows a moment before the blunt nose struck her in the spine. It swirled around her and attacked again, but its lunge took it through the loop of its own body.

  She saw the fangs, the dark, soulless eyes, and it turned to snap at her again. Instead of going through her, her hands stopped it, and the eel began to writhe in panic.

  The crackle through the water remained in the body that she was holding.

  It took long minutes for the thrashing to stop, but when it did, Alder came to her side. “Well, that answers that.”

  She looked at the body coiled around and around her. “I suppose it does.” Some of the other men grabbed the eel and pulled it to shore.

  The village gathered around it.

  It started to come out of the water and continued for foot after foot as the men walked it up onto the sand.

  Alder put his hands on her shoulders as she saw the true nature of the monster she had been dealing with.

  “I think I might be sick.”

  Thirty feet long and three feet around, the eel was terrifying. If she had seen it completely before she acted, she may have hesitated, and it could have been fatal for someone.

  Alder put an arm around her and helped her out of the water. Her head was spinning, and her body was wracked with fine tremors. He settled her on a blanket, and a woman brought over a cup of something sweet.

  A tearing sound began near her, and she turned to see the men and women portioning the carcass of the eel.

  “Oh goody.”

  Alder chuckled. “It is fine eating and will feed everyone here for a few days if processed immediately. So, what did you feel when you were fighting it?”