Knaleg: A Terraneu Novel (Book 3) (9 page)

His breathing ragged Knaleg managed to tease, “How
‘nice’ was that?”

Catherine laughed weakly that Knaleg was using her
own words from earlier to tease her. Trying to catch her breath she said, “That
was very ‘nice’, I would say one of the ‘nicest’ experience’s I’ve ever had.
You made me see stars!”

“But you are looking down at the ground, the stars
are in the sky.” Knaleg said in all seriousness.

Catherine started to laugh, then groaned as Knaleg
withdrew his semi-hard erection sliding against her sensitive nub. “It is just
a way of saying that you gave me extreme pleasure.”

Knaleg beamed at the compliment. Sliding her off the
pile of pillows to lie down next to him. He made sure to have the blankets
tucked around both of them. All of the primping and attention made Catherine
smile. Once they were both settled, her head resting against his arm, her body
flush against his side.

“You do not need to worry that we have created a
baby Cat. All the males have had a procedure to prevent that from happening.”
Knaleg whispered against her ear.

“I know about the procedure, but thank your for
telling me anyway.” She had been informed that all males had a birth control
procedure done on them. In order to reverse it, both partners of a mated couple
had to request it from the council. That way a male couldn’t force a pregnancy
on a female and vice versa.

Catherine turned in Knaleg’s arms until they were
chest to chest. His warmth was lulling her to sleep and she yawned. Before she
drifted off she had to clarify with Knaleg, “We have talked about children and
I know you are eager to start a family. I need to know if you are willing to
wait or if it is a deal breaker not to have them sooner rather than later?

Knaleg gathered her closer into his embrace she
turned her head to press her cheek against his chest. His heartbeat was
sounding loudly in her ear. “I would wait to have children until it is
something you are ready for Cat.” He rubbed his hands up and down her back.
“Now that I have discovered the pleasures to be found in intercourse, I am not
so eager to have babies as I was before. I am looking forward to spending time
getting to know you better.”

Catherine smiled at the idea of “getting to know” Knaleg
better. In all the rooms of their domes, at the Oasis she heard about, in the
Jungle that Knaleg had talked about showing her. After sparring if they could
get the other males to leave the dome. The possibilities were endless! With a
contented sigh she drifted off to sleep.

The male council had requested her presence at a
special meeting. Catherine had arrived at the allotted time and wasn’t
surprised to see it was a closed session. If they had wanted an open one they
would have invited all the female council members.

“Thank you for coming.” Kniam stepped forward to offer her his arm. He
was suddenly spun out of the way by the body of his brother pushing past him.
Laughing at his brother’s exuberance he walked away toward his seat.

“Cat.” Knaleg’s voice never failed to giver her chills, “I can show you
to your seat.” With his hand against the small of her back, he proceeded to
lead her to the chair in front of the council members. Drawing it back for her,
then waiting for her to take her place. He didn’t move off until she was
comfortable.

Kniam didn’t mince words, “We are here to discuss a mission that we are
undertaking. It was...” he paused and his eyes swung to Knaleg, “
advised
that you would be a perfect addition to the assigned team.”

Catherine glanced at Knaleg and almost laughed when he just shrugged. She
wondered what he had done to get her assigned to this “mission”. It had to be
pretty covert if she hadn’t heard anything about it in any of their co-council
meetings. Not to mention Knaleg hadn’t said anything about it during any of
their dates, or intimate talks after lovemaking.

“If I can be an asset on a mission, then I am ready to go.” Catherine
didn’t hesitate to offer.

“You do not even require knowing what you would be doing?” Thian asked
astounded.

“No. I trust that you are working for the greater good, and I am willing
to help in any way possible.” She hastened to add, “I would of course need to
be apprised of any pertinent details that may impact the safety of the other
team members.”

“Kneus can give you some basic information on the mission.” Kniam nodded
at his brother to continue.

“We are sending a group to Antilles to destroy the cloning facilities
there.” Kneus stated, “It will be a day hiking into where the facilities are
located, then another day back.” Kneus looked around, “We have already notified
Zerxix that we are coming, it will be up to the group leader to inform him of
the mission.” Kneus looked to Knaleg, “Be sure to stress that we are still
going to supply them with the usual amount of sugar cane, even though the
cloning compound will no longer require guarding.”

Knaleg broke in, “I know Kneus. This isn’t my first mission diplomatic or
otherwise. I will make sure Zerxix knows we are fully committed to our
alliance.”

Catherine asked, “Why are you destroying the cloning facilities if you
don’t mind my asking?”

“We are fully committed to the lives we are building here.” Kniam offered
her the explanation, “We no longer require the cloning facility and quite frankly
it is a distraction we don’t need.”

“We don’t want any of the community members to fall back on old habits
and think to rely on cloning.” Asteen spoke up, “We could eventually do limited
cloning here on Terraneu if we had to. The Antilles compound however has all
the human eggs and facilities to do mass cloning. It is time for that to be
taken out of the equation.”

Catherine wasn’t sure she would ever fully understand or agree, but the
males had been doing this for thousands of years. If they felt it was time to
destroy the compound, then she wasn’t one to argue. She trusted Knaleg and knew
that he never stopped worrying about the welfare of this community. All of the
council members were the same. If they said it was time to level that compound,
she would happily light the fuse herself.

“When do we leave?” Catherine asked.

“The meeting with Zerxix is scheduled for tomorrow, and the hike to the
compound will be the next day.” Ailech informed her.

“It will be myself along with you, Asteen, Ailech and Jax going on this
mission.” Knaleg smiled at her across the table. “Kneus has created some
special explosives to take down the buildings with minimal damage to the
surrounding area.”

“What kind of gear will I need to pack?” Catherine asked. She was already
going through items in her mind that she might want to bring. If they were
hiking in and out, then she would wear the utility boots that matched the
males. They were her favorite footwear and were all terrain in case she needed
it.

“Knaleg has already seen to each team member’s pack.” Kniam drawled out,
trying and failing to hide that he found this trait humorous, “He feels that
makes less room for error and ensures that everyone is properly equipped.”

Again Knaleg just shrugged off his brother’s humor. Since they had been
dating, he had been taking a lot of teasing from Kniam and Knollig. Kneus
tended to stay out of it since he didn’t have a female he was pursuing and knew
his time was coming when he did decide to date.

“I feel being overly prepared is better than being taken by surprise.”
Knaleg stood up and walked around the table, signaling the end of the meeting.
“I will show Catherine the items we are using on Antilles so she can
familiarize herself with them.” He bowed to his brother and then drew Catherine
away with a hand on her elbow.

“I’m sure that Catherine will require a thorough
briefing
on the
traditions of away trips to Antilles.” Kniam could not hold it back any longer
and he started laughing. At his words the other members all joined in.

“Yes, Knaleg. Do not forget to make sure Catherine is properly
equipped
for the trip.” Thian gasped out between laughter.

Catherine looked over her shoulder at the council members. She turned a
quizzical look toward Knaleg. “What is so funny about preparing for a mission
to Antilles?”

When the males heard her question to Knaleg the volume of laughter
doubled. If they weren’t careful they were going to rupture something Catherine
thought worriedly.

“All of the males that have taken an off world assignment and brought
their mates to Antilles have...” Knaleg had paused to open the door, and then
proceeded outside. “Well they have all had sexual encounters there.”

Catherine stopped short forcing him to stop as well. “Are you saying that
I am being included in this mission because you want to join some Antillean off
world sex club?”

“What?” Knaleg tried to rub her arms but she shrugged him off. “I wanted
to include you because I thought you would be an asset, and that you might
enjoy an off world mission. Not because I thought it would result in sexual
favors. Our trips to Antilles are usually basic trade excursions. I wanted you
to be included in something more exciting, something that matched your skills.”

Catherine was mollified by his compliments. It was flattering that he
thought so highly of her that he would include her in this mission. She should
have known better than to jump to the wrong conclusion.

“I’m sorry Knaleg, I shouldn’t have thought the worst.” Catherine offered
her apology. “I really am excited to go on this mission, and I am grateful that
you thought to include me.”

Knaleg grabbed her into a fierce hug. “Everyone knows you are very
skilled in battle tactics Catherine. My brothers and the other council members
use teasing because we have grown to appreciate the use of humor. It shows how
much light and happiness the females have brought to us. Do not let their words
affect your confidence in your skills.”

Catherine knew that the males had taken to teasing and ribbing each other
whenever the opportunity presented itself. She wasn’t usually so thin skinned
that she couldn’t take a little teasing. Working in a male oriented profession
she had faced a lot worse on Earth. She needed to get a handle on her feelings.
She didn’t want to do anything to jeopardize the trust Knaleg had in her.

They made it to the military dome. Knaleg showed her the pack he had put
together for her. It contained what she would expect for a basic mission. It
included some type of utility knife, first aid kit, rope, water, solar blanket
and other items tucked into every nook and cranny of the bag.

“Do I get a weapon?” Catherine asked.

Knaleg showed her the contents of another bag. There were taser guns and
knives for every member of the team. ‘I will issue out the weapons tomorrow after
our meeting with Zerxix.”

Catherine was almost giddy with anticipation over the thought of playing
with the stun gun. Assuming Knaleg would let her try it out. They did keep a
firm control over who could even take the advanced weapons, and she hadn’t had
a chance to use it yet. She was sure they would have let her use it for target
practice, she just hadn’t gotten around to trying yet.

As if reading her mind Knaleg told her, “I will have you practice on
Antilles with the gun. It should be close enough to what you used on Earth, but
I want you comfortable with the handling of it.”

“Is there going to be anything dangerous for us to require the need for
weapons?” Catherine asked him.

“There are wild sacath on Antilles we need to be on the watch for. Also,
there are a few factions of Antilleans not aligned with Zerxix that can pose
problems every now and then.” He smiled and her heart picked up its beat, “It
is nothing we haven’t faced before and can’t handle.”

Three days later Catherine was lost in thought as
they hiked back from the location of the cloning facility. The men were talking
about the end of the mission, and the excitement over going home was building.

They had reached the facility last night after a
long days hike. The meeting with Zerxix the day before had gone smoothly.
Knaleg had assured him that the sugar cane would keep coming, even though the
facility was gone. It was one less worry for the leader of the Antilleans.
Making sure none of his people or wild animals invaded the buildings was one
job he was happy to be getting rid of.

Catherine laughed to herself. Knaleg had gotten to
join the off world club after all. She couldn’t help herself! He acted like an
aphrodisiac to her system. When he had entered their tent last night, she had
ambushed him. They had then proceeded to put the sturdiness of the portable bed
cots to the test. She had to admit the males of Terraneu knew how to
manufacture reliable products. The cots had survived activity that she was
pretty sure were not what the original structural designs had intended.

Knaleg had taken a few chips from the computer
located at the main complex, then they had blown it all to the ground. With a
few faint wisps of smoke still snaking their way into the distant sky behind them,
they were now on their way back to the port pad. It was only a few minutes away
and then they would be home on Terraneu.

Catherine snapped out of her musings when the hair
on the back of her neck stood on end. That never failed to get her attention,
and she immediately went on guard. Taking note that there was an un-natural
lack of noise she slowed down. Her eyes began sweeping the surrounding area
looking for the cause of her unease. The males around her were still laughing
and jesting with each other. Knaleg however had slowed to stay beside her.
Seeing her discomfort and the way she was on guard and looking around on edge
he immediate went to tell the others to stop.

The attack came without warning. One minute she was
standing next to Knaleg, the next a blast sent her flying through the air to
land a few feet away. She knew she didn’t have time to assess herself for
injuries, she needed to move! She rolled over trying to see if she could find
the others. Ailech and Asteen had been walking the furthest forward and she
couldn’t find them in the smoke. Jax had been in the middle and he had landed a
few feet from her. Knaleg had already drawn his weapon and was looking toward
her.

“Make for the cover of trees!” Catherine yelled at
him waving her arms, “I’ll be right behind you!” Her voice echoed in her head,
and she wasn’t sure if she had yelled it or whispered.

Knaleg jumped to his feet and spun toward the trees.
Catherine was up and running to Jax. He was groaning and holding his arm. She
skid on her knees, landing next to him, “Don’t be such a cry baby! Get on your
feet and get to the damn trees!” She jerked at the arm he wasn’t holding, and
then gave up when she realized he had lost consciousness.

“Catherine. Get out of there!” Knaleg hadn’t run for
the trees as she thought, he was coming for her and Jax. The damn idiot! She
didn’t know whether to kick his ass or kiss him.

Catherine was looking at Knaleg when out of the
smoke came five armored forms. She jumped to her feet and started to run for
all she was worth. “Knaleg...behind you!” She screamed when one of the figures
raised his arm, with a weapon aimed right at Knaleg. Catherine drew her taser
gun and fired as she dove for Knaleg. She caught him at the thighs, spinning
him around. She landed with a grunt on the ground at his feet. He had raised
his weapon to fire at the figures walking toward them. The figure in the middle
fired his weapon again and she watched in horror as Knaleg took a hit right in
the chest. In slow motion he seemed to crumple to the ground. There wasn’t a
visible wound, so she had to hope that the weapon was on stun. She knew that if
he was gone, she would lose her mind, so she clung to the hope that these
creatures didn’t want them dead. She had grown to care for Knaleg too deeply to
lose him now.

She jumped from her prone position on the ground
with her weapon drawn. She started firing hoping to lure them toward her. They
had paused in their progress to watch her. Well she had to assume they were
watching her anyway since she couldn’t make out any facial features, as a
result she wasn’t sure if they were looking at her or not.

With her weapon still aimed at them she yelled, “Are
you afraid to get your ass kicked! Come on then...” It was laughable really.
These creatures were huge, all of them over six foot. The one in the middle was
at least six foot four. If anyone was going to get his or her ass kicked she
feared it would be her, but she moved slowly away to the left anyway. Her hope
was to take them away from Knaleg and Jax.

The middle creature gestured with his arm and they
all reached for their headgear. She wasn’t sure she wanted to see this! Images
of Predator and Alien flashed around in her head, she was terrified that she
was about to see all tentacles and teeth! When the gear retracted into the
shoulders of the armored suits they wore she gasped in surprise. They were
humanoid and young looking, around late twenty maybe thirty at most. Their pale
complexion clashed with pitch-black hair, but what held her gaze the most were
their eyes. They all had dark cobalt blue eyes.

The one in the middle moved slightly forward and
Catherine instantly raised her taser to point at his head.

“With your armor down you wouldn’t survive a blast
to the head. I won’t hesitate to kill you.” She was totally bluffing since she
didn’t even know if the taser gun had a kill setting. At least Knaleg hadn’t
shown her a kill mode. He had only let her handle it so she could get
accustomed to the weight, and how to pull the trigger. These males didn’t know
that though!

The one she assumed was the leader just stood still
staring at her.

“Marcael, we are tasked with scouting this planet
for the power source we were tracking. If we find any humanoid life forms we
are to bring them aboard the Elyon.”

The man in the middle swung his gaze to the other
who had spoken, “Do you dare to question how I run an away mission.” He hadn’t
raised his voice, but the hair on her arms stood on end. He reeked of authority
and power.

“No Marcael I would not question your authority, you
know that.” The poor fellow was cowering under the force of the leader’s stare.
“With all the males incapacitated, why are you bothering with the little boy?
We can just take them all without further fighting.”

“You do not listen, or use the gray matter between
your ears do you Zallex?” He swung his gaze back to her. “The ‘little boy’ as
you so stupidly term the little thing is a female.”

Two of the five men standing there let out loud
gasps and started toward her.

“If it is a real female, I will take her aboard the
Elyon myself! What a prize we have found.”

The other male argued, “I will take her. She is my
prize.”

His friend Zallex argued back, “We will see who gets
to her first.”

“Stay away from me!” Catherine fired the taser at
their heads, not entirely surprised when the blast just hit some shield. So the
headgear wasn’t their only protection. They didn’t listen, and now that she
knew her taser was useless she understood why she didn’t seem very threatening
to them. Her only hope now was that close combat would bring her inside their
shielding. She pulled her knife. “Don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

They made the mistake of staying side by side when
they reached for her. She let all her rage drift away. She needed to keep a
cool head. She hadn’t been willing to fight dirty with the males of Terraneu.
These men would not get the same consideration. She used every trick she could
think of to keep the two males spinning. She kicked, tripped, cut and slashed.
It didn’t help that they had on full body armor. They were so stupid that they
didn’t replace their headgear, and once inside their shield she was able to
leave cuts all over the exposed area that she could reach.

“Enough!” The male she had termed the leader yelled
out and they all froze. “Zallex, Yoxic you have shown enough bravery in
battle.” He drawled out mockingly. With a quick motion of his hands, the two
men standing next to him strode forward. Without a single hint of their intent
and two seconds later Zallex and Yoxic lay dead at her feet.

The two men then moved back and flanked their
leader.

“We value bravery and ruthlessness in battle. You
little female have both.” Marcael did a slight bow to her, “You have about five
minutes to get your people gathered up. That is all I can give you. We are not
the only scouting party, and not all are loyal to me.” He went to put his
helmet back up.

“Wait.” Catherine started to question the strange
leader, “Why are you scouting Antilles?” She went on hurriedly, “Who are you?
What is going on?” Her frustration was apparent and she knew the males of
Terraneu would want answers.

“Tick-tock...little female.” The leader Marcael
raised one dark eyebrow, “You can have the answers to your questions, and if
another scouting party shows up that will get you and your friends a front row
seat in Hell. Or you can take the time I am giving you, and get your people out
of here.”

She wanted to argue, but Catherine knew she was
wasting time. She didn’t wait any longer, but ran over to where Knaleg lay
prone.

“I have my weapon set on far less stun than the
others, he should wake rather quickly.” Marcael was moving with the other two
toward the trees.

Catherine shook Knaleg and almost cried when he
started to stir. Just as the strange group of aliens reached the trees the
leader turned one last time, and called out one final warning.

“Warn them when they awake that we are coming.” Then
the three disappeared into the surrounding trees.

Catherine shook Knaleg harder and he finally opened
his eyes.

“Cat?” He was disoriented and she smiled down at him
through the tears she couldn’t keep at bay.

“It’s going to be okay Knaleg. You have to get up
and help me with the others.” Catherine let the urgency out in her voice. “Can
you get up?”

“I think so.” Knaleg slowly rose to his feet, and then
looking around he spotted the prone figures of the two aliens Marcael’s men had
killed. “What happened?”

“I can tell you when we are safely away from here.”
Catherine hurried to Jax and began shaking him. “See if you can get Ailech and
Asteen on their feet.”

Knaleg moved to the other two council members,
shaking Ailech he was able to get the stunned male to his feet. No amount of
shaking would wake Asteen, so with Ailech’s help Knaleg was forced to carry
him. Once he had him safely over his shoulders they were on their way

The now battered party rushed as fast as they could
to the port pad. Keeping a weary eye out for any other scouting parties.
Catherine could honestly say she was never so happy to feel that sinking
feeling as when the portal was taking her home to Terraneu.