“That was your plan?” Lyra asked in wide-eyed amazement.
He stared at her for a moment before responding. “It was the best I could come up with on such short notice. I wasn’t even assigned to this mission until HQ learned I was in the area. My previous orders were to head to Canis Tor to rescue a diplomat. Turns out he’s dead anyhow.”
“What Sol’s saying can certainly be done,” Lyra agreed as she stroked her chin in thought. “I know how. I can quickly move what I’ve transmitted into a disguised file and out of the main indexes. Still, unless my actions are overwritten, or I delete everything on your entire computer system, someone searching could eventually find what I’ve done. If we pass on too many messages to Allied Command, someone on this vessel will eventually fall under suspicion.”
“That will be
you
, Aigean,” Soldar confirmed. “If the Condorians begin to suspect their battle plans are being leaked from this ship, you and your people will suffer first. And they
will
find Lyra’s transmissions. One of the first things they’ll do is to go the bridge and search your entire hard drive. Lyra can hardly delete it without further causing suspicion as to why all the ships’ systems are offline. She certainly can’t do that every single time she transmits … assuming we don’t get caught during this first attempt.”
Aigean sighed heavily. “So, if you enter the message authentication codes in your room’s computer and Lyra accesses them from the bridge, will the codes in your room’s work station be found?”
“That depends,” Lyra advised. “I can delete the index file from the room computer the same way I delete the index file from the bridge transmitter. Again the problem is the codes will
still
be in this computer here, until overwritten or I delete the entire hard drive. But if it comes down to it, getting rid of everything on the room work station will be much easier than trying to hide what we’ve transmitted from the bridge.” She shrugged and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. “Hell, if I have to, I’ll pull the damned thing out of the bulkhead and smash it. I can always pretend I was throwing a tantrum the way I did out in the passageway. Unfortunately, I can’t do that same thing to the bridge transmitter.”
Aigean paced for a moment before turning to them again. “We mustn’t ever leave your room computer unguarded then. This is just in case some Condorian should find his way into the room, and attempt to order food. Or use the wall work station for some other petty task. If such a thing happened, he could accidentally stumble across the authentication codes. Even if they’re changed every few hours on allied vessels, the very existence of them … in these quarters … will still give you both away.”
Lyra crossed her arms over her chest and frowned. “Why would any Condorian be in this room unless invited?”
Aigean held out her hands in an anxious gesture of explanation. “I’ve already told you. Nothing on this ship is private, including your quarters.”
“But if the enemy is as inebriated as you say, perhaps they won’t want to be here,” Soldar suggested. “There are many more pleasurable places.”
“We can hope,” Lyra chimed in.
“Right now, we must focus on the task at hand.” Aigean told them. “Before you can get to the bridge transmitter at midnight, or even send the information about the Taurean Seti-Seven attack, you both have a rendezvous with some very highly placed Condorians … including Admiral D’uhr.”
Soldar glanced at Lyra and found her staring back at him in fear.
Aigean briefly hung her head. “I’m sorry. I wish you’d had more time. But the admiral’s guards were the ones in the passageway when you arrived. Because you were with me and because of Lyra’s outburst, they’ve assumed what you wanted them to. That you’re the new sex act I promised. That being the case, D’uhr wants to meet you tonight.”
Soldar lifted one brow in concern. “That’s what we wanted them to believe. And it seems to be working. So why the anxious expression, Aigean?”
Aigean briefly clasped her hands. “I fixed Lyra’s background as originating from Gratis Major, which is a neutral planet. As long as she remembers that, no one will suspect she’s from Earth. The denizens from both worlds look exactly alike. But before Lyra made an appearance and I had to quickly concoct
that
tale, I told the Condorians that the new sex servants would be men. Perhaps several of them. So when you showed up with a woman, Soldar, I told the Condorians that the men I’d hired had broken their contracts. I told them I’d taken great pains and had gone to massive expense to engage a new act that was extraordinary. If I’m correct and you
do
succeed with your cover, the both of you will be very popular. There’s a possibility that the one or both of you will find sex partners accompanying you to this room or some other quarters for the night.
This
night!”
Lyra balked. “Wait just a minute! I came up with that story because I didn’t mind — for the sake of duty — making love to an allied fighter. But I’m not about to let any Condorian touch me. Not if frost forms at the outermost regions of hell! I’d rather have a laser blast tear through my skull.”
Aigean sighed. “I’m afraid that’s exactly what might happen, my girl. A woman who looks like you simply doesn’t book a job on a pleasure vessel without
desiring
such attention. Even though you’re passing yourself off as a sex couple … emphasis on the couple … I couldn’t promise that you’d never be confronted with offers to pleasure men or women separately. That’s why you may find someone in this room. Someone who might accidentally run across the authentication codes hidden in the work station.”
“So, we went to all this trouble for nothing?” Lyra asked.
“Lyra … we discussed this at the oasis,” Soldar quietly reminded her while feeling his own anxiety rise in proportion to hers. It was quite possible she’d take her own life rather than face the consequences their hostess just described. He put his hands on her shoulders to sooth her distress, then saw her gazing up at him oddly.
“Y-your eyes are glowing,” she remarked.
“That happens sometimes. When people of my race are under duress,” he lied. Fortunately for him, Aigean knew the truth of his race and quickly intervened with a total change of subject.
“If the discussion about what will be done on the bridge is over, I’ll need you both to undress,” she commanded.
“
What
?” Soldar and Lyra asked in unison as they snapped her heads in her direction.
“I want you both to undress and let me watch you. We have a few hours before your first performance, and I need to see this so-called act so I can offer any suggestions that might lend credence to your ruse. My staff may as well watch,” she stipulated as she lifted a hand to encompass the crew she’d brought into the room. “You’ll be more comfortable in front of an audience if you’ve practiced it here. I assume neither of you has done anything like this before?”
“Not in
this
life,” Lyra quipped.
Soldar sighed heavily and began to untie his robe. That was when he remembered Lyra didn’t know about genitalia differences specific to the men from his planet.
While he’d been told by physicians that internal organs of Earthers and Craetorians were extraordinarily similar, the men of his world had outer extras that were vastly different for some evolutionary reason. His own take on the matter was that males from his planet had evolved sexual stimulating genitalia to better service their women. Craetorian women’s sexual organs were exactly like those of Earth women. At least that’s what he’d been
told
. Never having been with anyone from Earth, he couldn’t be sure.
Either way, Lyra wasn’t expecting what she was about to get. If she couldn’t take his penis in her body, what other act could they possibly put together at this late hour?
Her explanation for holding back at the oasis was for the sake of
spontaneity
during their live performance. But he could see the absolute downside to that idea. She simply had to know about his anatomy now! Any inhibition onstage could be disastrous for all concerned.
Some drilled-in code of ethics tried to keep all this on a professional, staid level. But his body was already responding to the situation. Lyra had her back to him, but was also untying her robe slowly, hesitantly.
He saw Aigean and her minions take up seats on a nearby pillow lounges.
When Lyra turned to him and dropped her only garment to the floor he swore then and there and by all the deities that had ever lived in any universe that no one would
ever
have her but him. At least not while they were on this mission. He shrugged out of his robe, saw the shock on her face, and walked toward her.
Lyra couldn’t help gawking. Before her stood a true god. Almost seven feet of male hewn body stretch upward. Every muscle, sinew, ligament, and tendon cried out to be touched as it all blended in perfect harmony. From his massive shoulders to his highly developed quads, Soldar Nar was everything any woman could have ever wanted. His hard-packed, pillowed abs stood out in such bas relief that they made her want to lick his midsection. His boldly trained, healthy body was devoid of any hair save the perfect triangle of golden curls between his thighs and the thick, long pelt on his head.
Like many sentient beings from some worlds these days, his race may have developed the blessing of not needing to shave. She couldn’t imagine he’d allow any artificial enhancers such as permanent laser treatments for body hair removal. Aside from leaving a bit of pubic hair and that which grew on her head, she’d availed herself of hair removal procedures before leaving Earth. It simply made sense when one didn’t know how long it’d be before accessing a very small transport shower. But if laser treatments were the reason for the smoothness of his skin sans hair, he’d surely have opted to have numerous scars removed from his flesh during the procedure. Instead, old healed wounds were there as evidence to his warrior status and the battles he’d survived. The total effect was that his body gleamed like polished bronze. Even the scars seemed perfectly right. He was hard, megalithic, and awesome.
She daren’t look into his eyes. Their unholy, silvery gaze was fixed on her. She felt the intense heat of it as she could have felt any blazing sun. But all her attention now was drawn to the genitalia hanging thick, long, and prominent between his thighs.
The man’s penis was long with a bulbous, thick head that made her mouth water to taste it. On top of it, but at the base of his thick shaft, was another appendage that jutted up about four inches and was divided at the top. This lesser head looked like a small set of rabbit ears. That was the only frame of reference she had for this secondary sexual organ.
And most striking sight of all was the long, bullish testicles that hung very low, down between his gargantuan, muscular thighs. Within their globular depths a red glow began. That was when she finally lifted her gaze to his.
• • •
Soldar couldn’t help his response to her perfect, divine proportions. Lyra’s full, pert breasts were made to be suckled and massaged. Her narrow, flat waist and tightly defined abdomen spoke of many hours of hard work and more time spent fighting. Even her legs and arms were toned and well-shaped. They weren’t emaciated or weakly thin, as so many women of his acquaintance imagined to be attractive. The pretty thatch of brown curls between her slender thighs begged to be stroked. He could imagine spreading her legs, diving between them, and hearing her cry out his name in release over and over. Her body was like a Craetorian woman’s except she was so much smaller. The expression in her gaze was electrifying. She wanted him. There was no denying her desire. And his body responded to that silent call with vigor. His penis jerked in response as blood flood to the organ.
Aigean clapped her hands loudly.
“I-I’m sorry,” Soldar muttered, his gaze still on Lyra. “Did you say something?”
“Not that either of you was listening to a word I said … but I told you both to
lie down
! And do it now,” Aigean commanded. “We only have a few hours to get your act together and it’s going to take every moment since the two of you seem to have lost your wits.”
Soldar did as the Elderian woman asked. As he stretched out on the pillowed bed he’d slept in the night before, his cock remained upright as testament to his unbridled arousal.
• • •
Aigean turned to Lyra. “Now … you get on top of him and — ”
“I know what to do. Just get out my way,” Lyra interrupted as she gently pushed the other woman to one side.
Aigean smirked. “Don’t rush on stage. The audience will expect a prolonged act. Remember, you’re supposed to be performing for
them
. There’s no harm in enjoying yourself.”
Lyra swallowed hard as she looked over Soldar’s perfect, immense body. Strangely, it was only
then
that she noticed what was on his arms.
Wrapped around each of his twenty-inch plus biceps were two golden armbands. Each of these bands was about four inches wide. There was some kind of silver dragon embellishment on them. She hadn’t seen them before because he’d been wearing long sleeves. The robe he’d just dropped and his tunic earlier hadn’t hinted of such jewelry.
She took the moment to breathe deeper and slow her pounding heart. She kept her eyes on the arm ornamentation. Being intimate as they were about to be, she could ponder the beautiful bands at length. The small diversion could hold her attention and steady her nerves as she mounted him. For more than just the mission, doing this exactly right became very important.
She began by slowly crawling up from the foot of the rounded, pillow bed.
“You know, Earthlings have stories about the same kind of dragons depicted on your armbands,” she softly told him. Then she traced the outline of his gargantuan quadriceps before moving forward. “We have myths of them from many centuries ago.”
His only response was to stare straight into her eyes.
“If it’s true we really come from shared ancestors, I guess this is where I get to explore how much we have in common. Myths, men, and women,” she whispered.