She let out an exasperated gasp. “I
meant
… why would a Condorian tolerate anyone from an allied planet? They don’t believe in neutrality. Unless they want to take over a pleasure vessel to screw some doomed whores!”
Soldar suppressed a grin. “Don’t you see, Sergeant? What one can’t have is always more appealing than what comes easily. Not only that, but this particular admiral takes pleasure out of using men from worlds he believes he’ll one day conquer. For him, it’s like collecting trophies. It’s like rubbing salt into a wound, as you Earthers say.”
She simply shook her head in disbelief.
“For this plan … I was to be the new, willing entertainment. As I’ve told you, another of my team would have taken my place if I’d failed. It would have appeared as though they’d also been recruited as male whores,” Soldar continued. “We were to go after enemy battle plans as long as the Venus remained on this planet’s surface. Any of us would only have issued a strike command on the vessel when we could no longer obtain information.”
“Sir — ”
“Aigean has a constant flow of incoming, unusual sexual delights,” he insisted. “She offers her sex servants obscene amounts of money and attractive benefits to work on her vessel. Many professional prostitutes can’t or won’t ignore such lures when their families are starving or their homes have been destroyed by war. Her other employees remain out of loyalty to her and fear for their compatriots should they be caught escaping.”
“I-I was wondering how she kept her vessel staffed under such conditions,” Lyra mused.
“It seems that many of her employees have no place left to go,” he explained. “The Venus is their home. Aigean takes care of them. Her staff is willing to endure the Condorian presence, their sexual proclivities, and threat of death. Many of them want the chance to get their hands around a Condorian’s thick neck. They wait for some way to avenge a dead loved one or their entire families.”
“So she says. But — ”
“Her information has never been wrong. As to her people, Aigean keeps them in check. She’s been ordering them to bide their time. She’s playing with the enemy and knows it’s a dangerous game. As I’ve said, patronizing and catering in a war zone are the reasons why she’s survived.” He momentarily lowered his head. “It was unfortunate that she lost some of her crew when they wouldn’t admit to any covert operation. But those lives weren’t sacrificed in vain.”
Lyra chewed on her lower lip and stared into his eyes. “Did she say how her people were discovered? And do you trust her when she says that the Condorians still don’t know who was sending us information? This could be a trap.”
“That’s occurred to me, Sergeant. But the Condorians would gain very little by luring a few of us into some snare. Such a scheme would hardly be worth the trouble. Especially since my men and I took pains to remain ignorant of current tactics in this area. We simply knew nothing in the way of upcoming battle strategy that could be tortured out of us,” he admitted. “To address the rest of your concerns … Aigean was insistent that her employees’ deaths be avenged. She relayed that they were caught hiding distress beacons in their quarters though none of the devices contained covert messages. Six were questioned and tortured. They gave up no information, and were slaughtered in front of the rest of the ship’s crew as an example.” He lifted his hands in a convincing gesture. “To clarify Aigean’s purpose, she clearly stated that she’d have ‘blood for blood.’ It was she who came up with this new plan.” He then held up one fist as a show of solidarity. “I believe her. She hasn’t betrayed us yet.”
“So there’s no way to talk you out of this crazy scheme?”
“None. And to specifically address your concern, Aigean told us the origin of her prostitutes has never been an issue with the Condorians. All of the men with me were from different races. It was left for her to explain my presence, or the appearances of those men on my team who followed. She led us to believe that this would be no problem since the current Condorian admiral wants … virile men. As stated, he has a predilection for those from hostile worlds.” He shrugged. “I guess I’ll do.”
Lyra gasped in frustration. “Sir … are you okay with this? Really? I mean … how can you live with the idea of doing such a thing? I can’t imagine a worse assignment. Not even if you dropped me onto some planet full of flesh-eating parasites. And what if this plan is somehow exposed? Aigean Florn and all her employees will certainly be slaughtered as spies, right along with you. They won’t be given their shot at vengeance. They’ll just die when you get caught. So we’re right back to where we started.”
“You don’t give up, do you?” he declared as he shook his head in exasperation. “We were willing to take the chance. We were ready to engage in any sexual fantasy to get the information we need. The Condorians are so sure they’ll eventually annihilate us that they cannot imagine we’d go this far,” he insisted. “They believe us too weak and frightened to even contemplate such a ruse. And that’s exactly why it might work. We’re playing to their egos,” he attested. “Where secreting battle plans in distress beacons was more efficient, we’re now forced to engage more dangerous tactics. We simply must, Sergeant. We’re running out of time and people. The Condorians are eradicating us, one planet and one race at a time. We’ve no choice left!”
“But — ”
“Don’t go sanctimonious on me, Sergeant! Spies like me have used sexual allure for a very long time. I’m not the first nor shall I be the last. We have men and women in brothels from here to the Antares Alignment who are doing this same thing, under circumstances that are far less comfortable than the amenities provided on a class-five pleasure vessel. I can do it because using sex to get information has always been a ploy, throughout known history, and even on your world if I recall my studies.” He snorted. “I remind myself the information I get might just save lives. Up to and including the lives of my family. And besides, while I have my orders I’d have volunteered for this had the opportunity been given. I know exactly what I’m in for. So get over it! It won’t be the first time I’ve been aboard a prostitution vessel, having sex with some man. In fact, I find a certain amount of smug pleasure in bedding an enemy who thinks me too inferior to play mind games. For me it’s the ultimate test of my abilities. So … if it makes you feel any better … let’s just say I’m a bit sick that way and be done with it,” he smilingly finished.
She wasn’t so sure he was telling the truth, but it
was
his choice. “All right. So you’re into this. But what’s my part?”
A very long moment of silence followed.
“I think you already know what you’d have to do,” he eventually uttered. “After having explained my place in this charade, there should be no doubt. You’ll now replace my team and will come in after me if I should fail.”
“I’d actually have to let a Condorian … even one of their slightly more controllable officers … screw me?”
He simply raised one brow in confirmation.
She stood up, stalked away, and put her hands on her hips. After cursing to the sand beneath her feet, she angrily returned and knelt by his side.
“Sir, how do you know … I-I mean … w-what I’m trying to ask is — ”
“Just spit it out, Sergeant.”
“Sir … thanks again for saving my life. I don’t assume that I’d have lived much longer, but every day I do is a blessing.” She took a deep breath. “What you’re asking is too much.” She licked her suddenly dry lips and tried to continue. “We are being eradicated. There’s no doubt about that. But I couldn’t let one of those sons-of-bitches near me. I-I couldn’t!”
“Aigean’s people do it every day. We’ll be pretending to be just two more of her employees.”
“I know, sir. But I have other … personal concerns.”
“Explain,” he urged.
Lyra swiped her hand across her forehead and tried to continue. “Those of us from Earth take our birth control meds and are inoculated with STD vaccines. None of us is allowed into battle if we aren’t one hundred percent clean. The rules are standard in all Earth units. No one can afford to be on the front lines if they’re sick. All our remaining medical supplies are being syphoned for those who’re fighting. We don’t have meds for soldiers irresponsible enough to put their pleasure ahead of our survival.” She shuddered and tried to keep going. “There are some incurable strains of VD in existence. There’s a rumor out there about some crap a few Condorians have. It’s some sickness that’s supposed to be so virulent that shots won’t help.”
“Should we sit back and hope they die of it? Is that what you’re suggesting, Sergeant? Because that rumor you’ve just expounded is the same damnable one I heard two years ago. And even if it’s true, I can assure you that there are multi-trillions of Condorians who will wipe us all out while we pray to some higher deity for their demise. In short … we don’t have time for a rumor to work!”
“That’s not what I’m … ” Her words drifted away before she sighed heavily and tried again. She held out her hands in a supplicating gesture. “Sir … you couldn’t possibly believe these Condorian animals would accept using a prophylactic. They’re nasty, filthy lechers. It’s just one more reason why female fighters keep spare rounds in their weapons … if you get my meaning and I think you do. Rot is rot and I can’t let some bastard touch me if he’s been infected.”
He simply stared.
“It would be better if I died in battle.”
Soldar put one hand on her shoulder and lowered his voice. “Listen to me, Sergeant … if the Condorians aren’t stopped, all our deaths are certain,” he firmly promised. “I’m willing to die on this mission. You must use your wits and think — ”
“Of what, sir? The only thing fighting women can think about is their dignity and what will happen to our children when those vermin get to Earth. You’re dismissing my concerns over the issue because it’s a moot point. But it isn’t.”
“Creator’s blood! You have children? And you agreed to fight — ”
“No, sir. I don’t have kids but I would have liked to someday. In fact, I don’t have any family left, thanks to the Condorians. But there are little kids on Earth I don’t want those vermin near. That’s why some Earth women are here, trying to stop them now. But I’ve gotta tell you … there are ways to die and then there are ways to go out in pain, agony, and with less dignity than a warrior deserves. I always knew dying was probable. I took that into account when I signed up. All Earth women do. We know we have to fight. There’s no choice. But I don’t put myself in a position to ask
for what you’re suggesting. If it comes down to dying, I’ve made up my mind to meet my maker like the men in my unit. I accept no less.”
“I acknowledge your fear,” he softly argued. “But what if we succeed in saving other lives, Sergeant? Isn’t that why you joined Earth Force to begin with?”
“Yes, sir. It is,” she woodenly agreed.
He let out a long, slow breath. “The best we can do is live long enough to get information back to the allies. We’ll die when we’re caught. That truth negates your anxiety over your future health,” he sadly reiterated. “It’s our oath to save as many of our people as we can before leaving this life. I’ll do that by any means necessary. We must fight until the last breath leaves our bodies. The only difference that this mission will make is in the numbers we might be saving. We might warn thousands of innocent people to escape, even if it means certain death on some future battlefield.” He lifted one hand and put his palm against her cheek. “The longer allies last, the greater the chance for all our races to survive. We have to consider the majority and put aside personal concerns. Others are suffering, so we must take comfort in the fact that, for however short a time, we outwitted the enemy. Keep thinking about that and nothing else. You signed up to fight. This is just one more way to do your duty.”
She finally lifted her chin, and stared at him for a very long, poignant moment. “Is this an order?”
“I’d rather you came willingly.”
She pinched the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger then pointed to the barrens in the distance. “If I run right now, will you use one of your last rounds to shoot me? I’d be refusing a direct order. You’d be well within your rights. Nobody’d question anything since my superiors already think I’m dead. Besides, you won’t live through this irresponsible mission long enough to damage my record!”
“If you run, I’ll chase you, tackle you to the ground, and bring you right back here,” he told her as he pointed toward the dirt at his feet. “You’re alive against all reason. You must make use of this chance.”
She opened her mouth to argue again, but solemnly closed it and stared into the distance.
“Aigean and her crew are willing to risk everything,” he said, pressing his point yet again. “They’ve been trying to entertain the Condorian officers on their ship though their hatred is equal to ours. We’ll be with brave souls. We won’t be alone.”
“And if nothing comes of this idiotic stunt?” she asked.
“Your insolence isn’t appropriate. Neither is your candor, Sergeant. Would you like to rephrase the question?” he angrily asked as he squared his shoulders and glared at her.
She put her hands on her hips and glared back. “If I piss you off enough, maybe you’ll kill me.”
“Creator’s blood! You’re unbelievable.”
His angry stare continued for what seemed like eternity. But she didn’t look away. Anger was all she had left.
“Sergeant Markham …
I
survived bombardment when my men didn’t.
You
survived being chased down by a pack of monsters when, by all the odds, you shouldn’t have. I’ll say it until the mighty mountains of my planet crumble.” He pulled her close. “We’ve both endured for some purpose. Let’s take our courage in hand and use this opportunity.”
“No matter what you say, sir, the Condorians will kill you on sight. It’s impossible to believe that, after they suspected someone aboard that ship for spying, they’d still allow a Craetorian anywhere near it. Even if everyone associated with Aigean Florn swears you’re neutral.” She drew herself up for one last comment. “And finally … even if I did this, I could at least pass myself off as being from any one of a hundred humanoid worlds the enemy hasn’t invaded yet. But that birthmark on your face is clear evidence of your heritage. Why didn’t you have it removed before attempting something so crazy? What was Allied Command thinking?”