She smiled and felt his arms close around her. They were safe and warm for the moment. The war and everything to do with it was temporarily shut out. She’d keep it at bay for as long as she could lie with this man and hear the deep sound of his beloved voice.
Just for these last few hours.
Soldar closed his eyes as he spoke.
He described the world of Craetoria, the gardens with colorful flowers, forests with trees so tall they dwarfed buildings, and creatures that dwelled in meadows, on mountainsides, and near brooks. All of these would be destroyed when the Condorians overran his home. But he didn’t dwell on their demise, just on their existence and how magnificent they were.
He spoke of dragons that actually lived in caves. These were the magnificent beasts his family had chosen for their crests some centuries ago. This was how their image had come to be melded onto their armbands.
He spoke of his father, mother, and sisters, but declined to mention his beloved brother. Words concerning his sibling wouldn’t come. It was so much easier to imagine Cordis still alive.
His father had charged him with one duty where his brother was concerned. He and Cordis had been much younger when the order was issued. But he’d never forgotten it.
“Take care of him, Soldar. He loves you with all his heart. See he comes to no harm.”
Soldar fought tears of sorrow. There would never come a time when he could speak of Cordis objectively. He could never talk about their boyhood days.
In contrast, Lyra bravely recounted how her family had been killed. Even in memories of family, her courage was steadfast. Though her voice wavered, she made it through her descriptions of them and was able to finally smile.
Not so with him. It was as if he was harboring some dark barricade in his brain and it wouldn’t let him recall certain things.
Perhaps that was better. Most fighters didn’t have Lyra’s strength of will and her resiliency. Most were more like him. For the majority of allied defenders he’d seen, too many hours recalling the past had been devastating. Thoughts of home and loss had driven many hardened combatants insane. He’d watched it happen gradually. Some went mad more quickly. He’d seen the shattered looks on their faces and knew he’d become one of them without that strange mental obstruction that kept grief away.
No, not many were like Lyra. He feared the tragedy she kept locked in the back of her mind would catch up with her sooner or later. But then, she’d never have enough time alone with her losses. She wouldn’t live much longer. The Condorians would see to that.
Lyra would be among those who died and flew easily to the afterlife. She would be rewarded. Those left behind were the ones who needed prayers. These would wish themselves dead when the Condorians finally won.
There was one thing all allies shared besides their fear of the enemy. In this they found common ground.
In this war, no innocent was left unscathed. Everyone had lost someone.
He turned his head to gaze at her.
As she’d spoken to him and her voice finally softened, he’d let her slide into blissful sleep. For him, rest seemed impossible. His mind was drained and his body spent. But some demon-like, unreachable shred of memory kept him awake.
The conflict keeping him from slumber had to do with D’uhr.
Lyra hadn’t asked about the incident in his quarters again. What could he say that would make sense? The darkening was a power rarely spoken of. Up until tonight, it had been considered a physical impossibility, a legend to tell children on his home world.
Only hours before, legend became reality. He’d accomplished the incredible. He’d seen the way his body transformed and felt how his frame had strained at his clothing. When it happened he’d lost the ability to speak. But if he’d tried, he believed he’d have roared like some wild beast. He’d become less a man, more a canine-like ravaging hunter with all the raw energy of a feral animal. In that moment he knew he could easily rip out a man’s throat. He’d seen the long talons on hands that’d become paw-like. The sight of them reminded him of images of Earth wolves he’d seen as a child. Still, he was more man than some roaming forest predator. Sinew had bulged on his forearms. It’d felt as though an electrical impulse surged through his body. He’d felt an awesome strengthening sensation across his chest, and in his abdomen and legs, and even through his penis and balls. In those moments his eyesight was greatly enhanced. He’d gazed into every darkened corner and had seen the terror in the enemy’s eyes. A hush had fallen over the crowd. They’d stared at him and he’d changed back as easily as he breathed air. Instinct told him his recovery was due to his shock at having changed at all.
Something was dreadfully wrong. He could be losing his mind.
In the time he’d rejoined Lyra, thoughts of darkness soon fled. She helped him put the fantastic into perspective. Now that she was asleep and he no longer had the comfort of her dulcet voice, fear filled him again.
His shock over the incident had been tamped down for Lyra’s sake.
What the enemy feared, she must never witness. There was just so much even a woman of such courage could take.
The strangest thing of all was the recurring feeling he’d shape shifted on other occasions. Bits and pieces of odd dreams and strange scenes meandered in his brain. None of it made any sense.
He snuggled closer to her and buried his face in her soft, clean hair.
What was happening to him? Would he be able to help her if he couldn’t control himself?
Shadows began to close around him. Even with his eyes shut he could feel the darkness as if it was a living entity. Part of his tired mind wanted to believe he’d actually imagined his transformation. But the more practical side couldn’t shut out the Condorians’ faces.
How could it be real?
He almost woke Lyra just to hear her speak again. Whatever subject she chose would be welcome if only to chase away this impending sense of doom.
The darkness kept coming. He knew it covered his body but he dared not open his eyes to greet it. If he did, it would take him. He must stay awake and keep what was left of his mind intact.
With all his will, he focused on her warmth and softness. The sound of her breathing was the only thing keeping him steady. Without her presence, he was sure his sanity would wither.
• • •
“Soldar? Lyra?” Aigean called out.
“We’re here,” Soldar replied while staring down at Lyra. His mate — for they had accepted each other in all ways — stirred in his arms.
Aigean walked into the dim space they shared. When she did, Lyra finally awoke and sat up.
Soldar hugged her once again. Her warmth was like water to a thirsty man. He wanted to drink her in for as long as he possibly could. He turned his attention to Aigean and his heart fell when he saw the dire expression on her face.
“You should be aware of what has occurred,” Aigean urgently as she stared down at them. “I knew we would eventually be caught. But it appears our discovery has come much sooner than anticipated.”
“What happened?” Lyra asked.
Soldar held his breath, waiting for news he’d expected.
Aigean briefly dropped her gaze. After a moment, she bravely stared into his eyes again. “D’uhr has ordered his son, Fornax, to search the Venus’ computer,” she informed them. “To keep their activities aboard the Venus a secret, Fornax makes regularly scheduled trips outside this planet’s atmosphere using a long-distance shuttle. D’uhr’s command vessel is located in deep space, but close enough to Reisen Four so as to maintain control of his crew there. Fornax used that ship’s transmitters to contact other Condorian attack cruisers. It should come as no surprise that he discovered Taurean Seti-Seven had been warned. Its citizens were evacuated and all the fuel the enemy sought was missing.”
Lyra regarded Soldar before saying, “This is where it hits the fan!”
“Indeed,” Aigean concurred. “My people informed me that Fornax arrived back on the Venus in a rage. He was shouting threats concerning
you
, Soldar. But Lyra will also be suspected as she is your mate.”
Soldar jumped out of bed and searched for clothing. He kept his attention on Aigean but was aware of Lyra following his example. There was an instinctual need to be dressed. It wouldn’t make any difference to their situation, but the desire to be covered drove them.
“Has any connection been made to a transmission from your bridge?” he asked.
“There will be,” Aigean warned. “My people could not find a way to wipe the records from the bridge computers.”
“Being caught in that attempt would have got them killed,” Soldar stated. “When Fornax orders a computer check, he
might
miss what Lyra did. It could take some time to locate her transmission, or tie it to the work station in our bulkhead,” he said as he gestured toward the computer in their quarters. “D’uhr won’t see his pleasure ship or its crew destroyed until there’s an answer. He’s too hedonistic. For that same reason, he won’t even ask for the master computer on his ship to link into the Venus’ console for a faster file analysis. He won’t want his ship’s subordinates to know he’d been depriving them of the Venus’ pleasures.”
“I agree,” Lyra added. “His people would mutiny.”
“I don’t think either of you fully understands the situation,” Aigean said as she raised her hands in concern. “Soldar’s relationship with D’uhr has Fornax incensed. From what I’ve witnessed, Fornax sees his father’s lovers as impediments to his own significance. His jealousy knows no bounds.”
“Great! A Condorian with daddy issues,” Lyra mumbled as she finally located clothing and began pulling it on.
“This has been a long-standing issue with Fornax,” Aigean reiterated. “My people have heard him and D’uhr arguing over the matter. To D’uhr, Fornax’s mother was a breeder who was contracted to get an heir and nothing more. D’uhr has always craved men. Specifically Craetorian males. Fornax will do whatever he must to make sure blame falls on Soldar. Even if Soldar was never on the bridge and D’uhr knows it.”
Lyra angrily turned on them. “At the risk of repeating myself, Fornax’s hatred of Craetorian men, is another reason why Sol shouldn’t have been able to pass himself off as a plaything, or even get on this ship. I don’t understand how he claimed neutrality — ”
“Hush girl! We can discuss that later,” Aigean rebuked as she paced a few steps and clasped her hands together. “Of all the Condorians on my ship, Fornax is the most dangerous. He seeks to gain notoriety among his people. And while D’uhr and his son may argue bitterly over the subjugation of some Condorian woman, D’uhr still shows affection for his son. You might even say D’uhr loves him, if such a thing is remotely possible among Condorians.”
“I’d give anything to have those weapons we left at the oasis,” Lyra muttered, ignoring Aigean’s censure. “There were only a couple of rounds left, but I could see myself putting one in D’uhr’s head, the other in Fornax’s.
“Those weapons would be the only ones available to us,” Aigean said. “With Fornax’s suspicions of spying more-or-less confirmed, he doubled the guards on the Venus’ makeshift armory. Now … I must think of my people. I must keep them alive for as long as possible. There may be a chance they can glean information and get it to the allies. The occupiers may let them live a while longer to serve this ship, even after the three of us are dead for whatever defiance D’uhr suspects. As long as my crew might live, I cannot order them to rush an armory where they’d all be cut down in an instant.”
Lyra opened her mouth to comment.
“If I thought that would have worked, I’d have commanded that action long ago,” Aigean said, quickly cutting off the obvious response.
Soldar silently agreed with Aigean. The foundation of the entire mission was to stay alive and send information to allied HQ at all costs. Even if more weapons were out there, getting to the oasis wasn’t feasible. With Fornax’s suspicions, no one would get off the Venus again. Not for any reason. Lyra knew that, but she was throwing out suggestions because she’d been trained to consider every option. Even as she emotionally accepted their situation, part of her warrior spirit didn’t want to give the enemy the satisfaction of having exposed her as a spy. As he saw it, Lyra realized Aigean’s assertions were the exact reason why the Elderian hadn’t brought the weapons aboard already. To be caught with such minimal firepower wasn’t worth having everyone murdered. Especially since there’d be nothing to show for such an impotent gesture.
Most importantly, Lyra wanted a quick, clean death. He hadn’t forgotten what he’d promised her. He’d assured her that no Condorian would get his hands on her. That was the real reason why she considered getting to the oasis.
While they both knew his promise was ludicrous and that sooner or later the Condorian officers would take her, she’d still asked for death by his hands and he’d still agreed. Only the fact that the enemy was sated with prostitutes, drugs, and alcohol had kept her safe.
“So what’s the plan?” Lyra asked. “Do we sit tight and wait for them to bang on the hatch demanding entry?
“We aren’t entirely without options,” Soldar instructed. “We do have one advantage D’uhr and his son know nothing about. We just need to stall for time.”
He took her hands in his, stared into her eyes, and saw strength there that no battlefield general had ever displayed. Her courage was all the more touching because of the fears she’d expressed before they boarded the Venus.
He was aware of Aigean considering them meticulously. Why she’d care about their newly cemented relationship, he couldn’t imagine, but it was nothing she could alter. It wasn’t her business.
The universe and eternity waited for him and his mate. He simply didn’t want Lyra entering the afterlife while experiencing more terror from this one.
She took a deep breath, sighed, and actually smiled up at him.
With that gesture, he could outline a plan that would make no difference to their survival. Discussing an option was better than waiting for D’uhr or his son, Fornax, to come for them.