“
Like you said,” Naero added, “the Kexx knew what they were doing. So, after all of this is said and done, if we make it somewhere safe, how do they wipe this stuff off us?”
Aunt Sleak paused. “They’re not sure of that yet. The principles are there. Your parents and their contacts among the Cumi explorers obviously figured it all out with time. The proof is clear. They were able to write the Matrix onto your DNA.
“Certain other Cumi might be able to duplicate this feat with the help of Intel’s resources and learn how to reverse the process. Erasing it from you both is possible, but only once they’ve unlocked its secrets. Intel is attempting to contact more Cumi without attracting further Corps suspicion. But for now, I think you’re going to be stuck on your medbeds for a while, who knows how long.”
“Screw
that,” Jan said. “What about the creature that put this on us?”
“Killed, along with
your parents’ expedition.”
Naero gritted her teeth until she could almost taste dust.
She wanted to scream.
“
I can’t believe Mom and Dad stuck this stuff on us,” she said.
“
I can,” Jan said. “Think of the profits. Think about what it will mean to our people.”
“
Yeah,” Naero said. “If we live that long.”
The call came through for them to return to their training. All three of them jumped up and left the mess hall.
Intel did not tolerate being kept waiting.
32
Later that
evening, Naero used her nightly free time to visit Ellis and Tarim.
It had been a while since she
’d spent hours parked before her education screens, studying lifeforms, galactic history, or drooling over new ships.
That all seemed so childish and long ago to her now. Yet parts of her still yearned for those times.
More and more, recently, she chose to spend more time with her friends, especially Ellis.
Both
Tarim and Ellis had the run of their deck and plenty to do, but only Ellis had to be followed everywhere by two Spacer Intel guards after he left his quarters.
Like the two rough-looking goons
stationed outside his door panel when she arrived.
He had his door set to open when she buzzed
She walked in. It snapped shut behind her.
“Hey N, nice
wristcom. Intel give you that?” He noticed everything.
She noticed
everything too. Him sweating from a workout.
C
ompletely naked.
Haisha
, what was with this guy? Was he a nudist or something?
“
So, what does the new gadget do?” he asked.
Naero caught herself staring at him for
just an instant too long.
“What, oh this?”
He grabbed his pants and stepped into them
. “Sorry, N. I thought Spacers weren’t bothered by the human body.”
“
Bothered? Not me.”
Bothered
? No. More than slightly aroused?
Yes. Ellis was becoming quite the problem.
In many ways, with her still being a virgin and all, Naero’s growing intense curiosity continued to get the better of her.
“
Prance around in the buff all you want. I don’t care.”
Ellis smiled. “I’ll pass. I don’t even think Spacers are ready for that.”
Thankfully, he continued to lighten up and act more human with each passing day. He and Tarim continued to get along better. Ellis had his moments. She wondered about the clone issue.
She still couldn
’t see them partnering a ship together, but she might steal a kiss from him. Someday
“So, what does it
do?”
His words brought her back out of la-la-land.
“What?”
“
The new gadget?”
“Well, this wristcom and
handcomp is the latest thing. Versatile, fashionable, and among other things–your basic suicide device.”
Now Ellis did a double take. “Say again?”
“
If someone captures me or attempts to retrieve the Kexxian Data Matrix, or to remove this device, it blows up. Sort of a small neutron detonator.”
“
You agreed to wear that?”
“
Well, I would be killed instantly.” She snapped her fingers.
Even Ellis blinked and started slightly.
“Just like that,” she said. “A bright flash, and poof! No more me. No more Kexxian Data Matrix. Jan wears one just like mine.”
“
No wonder you Spacers always beat us,” he said, shaking his head. “You people are more insane than we are.”
She zeroed a finger in on him, ignoring her flailing imaginary tendrils. “
And don’t you forget it, pal.”
“Naero, h
ave you ever wondered that, just maybe, there might be people out there who would be happy if the Kexxian Matrix never existed? Maybe even people among Spacer Intel? Then everything could go back to normal. Ever think of that?”
Naero paled. The Matayan
’s cold logic blindsided her.
“
No, I guess you didn’t,” he said. “I hope they can’t set that thing off remotely.”
“Uhh...”
“But hey, don’t worry. They’re on your side.”
“
Yeah, right. Sure they are.”
“
So, can you at least tell me where we’re going when we bust out of here?”
She shook her head
. “I can only tell you that we’re leaving soon. I’m afraid you might be with us for a while longer, your highness.”
Ellis just shook his head.
“First, you know too much, your highness. And second, if we cut you loose somewhere too soon, our enemies might be able to track us down.”
He turned his back on her and struck the wall with both fists.
“I promise, Ellis. Once we’re safely out of Corps Space–”
“What? That could take
months! My people need me, Naero. With what I know now, I could–”
“Could what, Ellis? Prince or not, you were given up as a hostage to our mutual enemies. They weren’t expecting to get you back. I want to ask you something important. Can you handle it? This could get pretty rough.”
“What are you hinting at? I’m a Prince of the Matayans. I can deal with anything.”
Naero raised her eyebrows. “During the auction, the Matayan Emperor–”
“My grandfather.”
Naero nodded. “As part of his conditions, he demanded your return.”
“Why does that surprise you? I’m an heir to the throne. Of course he would demand my safe return.”
Naero licked her lips. “But he referred to you as his grandson’s clone. Are you a clone Ellis? What does that mean among Matayans?”
Ellis laughed. “My dead father was the firstborn clone of my grandfather, just as his brothers were, although all of the direct modified royal clones, my uncles, died in the wars. Each generation is genetically modified and improved over the last. Any aberrations are culled and destroyed, or kept brain dead on life-support for spare parts.
“Of course I’m a clone. All the heirs are. Our scientists take no chances with diluting or infecting the royal bloodline. I am Ellis-X, firstborn of my advanced generation; the direct heir after my father. I have three surviving younger brothers very similar to me, one slightly shorter. Two others were assassinated.”
“Then why did they give you to Kattryll?”
Ellis bowed his head. “My grandfather, the Emperor assured me that I would not be harmed, but merely held as a political prisoner for a short time as part of his overall strategy to raise our people back up to greatness. He told me sacrifices needed to be made. I accepted. Willingly, at first. But now I fear that Nellis II, the next in line, conspired to supplant me. For years he has moved against me, playing up to our grandfather. The two of them are the same. Brutal and ruthless.”
Ellis rubbed his eyes and looked away. “I knew I was forsaken, from the moment Kattryll stunned me that very first time. I knew my own family, the royal family, had sold me out.”
Ellis gasped and looked up.
“But what happens to me is not important. Even now, my people rush headlong into ruin. And I can do nothing to save them.”
“
The lives of my people are also at stake here, Ellis. What if there were something you could do?”
He
whirled about and glared at her. “Girl, my grandfather, our illustrious Emperor just attempted a major power play to seize the Kexxian Data Matrix for our people. He failed. Do you know what the Corps are going to do to my people when they have the chance? They’ll make an example out of us.”
Naero
ignored the “girl” comment; that was just Ellis.
“
At least, thanks to me, you’re still alive, Ellis. If I was with your people I’d be floating dead in space by now...
after
I serviced the crew of some battleship for a few days or worse, am I right?”
Ellis wouldn’t meet her gaze. He knew she was dead on.
“We know very well what happens to Spacers captured by Matayan corsairs, right Ellis? No mercy. Not for kids, old people, or any filthy spack–am I right?”
Ellis reddened further. “I don’t agree with such policies, not even during wartime. I would change them if I could. I’m trying very hard not to see you and your people that way any longer, Naero. As enemies.”
“Oh, so you did see us that way before?”
He glared at her. “What do you expect from me? Change does not occur overnight; even your people have said this. Your aunt looks at me with murder in her heart. You were our most bitter enemies. We made total war on each other.”
“Correction. Your people made total war on mine; mine did not do so on yours.”
“What do you want me to say?,” Ellis asked. “You crushed us militarily, over and over again. We hated your kind. You cost us our freedom. We’re Corps slaves now because of–”
“Because of Matayan pride, greed, and stubborn folly. You tried to destroy my people, and we beat you.”
Ellis turned away from her, arms crossed in front of himself. Fuming.
“Yeah, I thought so,” Naero told him.
He whirled back around, stabbing an accusing finger at her. “
You don’t understand us any better than we understand you.”
She stepped
around in front of him, looking him right in the eye.
“T
he Corps already planned to absorb your people. That’s what they do. Nothing would have prevented that. Your only chance would have been to switch your alliance from them to us, and Matayan pride would never allow that. Would it?’’
“Shut up.”
“
If you haven’t noticed, I don’t take orders from you, Prince Ellis. Yes, we decimated your military; thank goodness we did.”
She pointed a finger right back at him. “B
ut we never went after your civilians like you did ours. We took prisoners and then released them once the war ended. How many Spacer prisoners did the Matayans release? None. Because they never took any.”
Ellis turned his back on her
, shaking with with rage. He took a few steps, threw his hands up, and screamed. Then he rounded on her.
Naero
stood ready for an attack.
Then she saw the tears in his
eyes.
“
What you say is true. I am sorry for it. My people committed...many horrible atrocities against yours. We hate you. But we hate you most because you are free, and we…we are not.”
He
sat down heavily on his bunk and covered his face with both hands.
“There. Satisfied? You’ve broken the pride of the proud Matayan jerk.
Now I’m nothing but an escaped, renegade hostage, and my people are doomed. They cast me off to that pig Kattryll, all to ensure the continued cooperation of my people. The Court even tried to have me killed by poison in my food and drink, to avoid the shame of my torment. My own family. There is no hope for us. The Matayan race will be no more.”
Naero felt a lump in her ow
n throat.
“
So, go ahead and gloat, Naero Maeris. You’ve helped destroy my people. When the Corps come after yours, may you do better.”
Naero knelt
down and placed her left hand over his.
He looked up in wonder
She rose up further and mated her lips to his.
At first
, her hot intense kiss shocked him.
An
instant later he responded in kind.
Her
passion pushed them both down onto the floor.
He smelled and tasted of citrus and spice.
Scents and delicious tastes up close and overpowering.
They boiled together in each other’s arms.
Their scorching tongues wrestling playfully. Her hands moved over his flesh.
E
very part of him hard and supple. Moist with sweat. Skin cool to the touch. Yet wherever her fingertips lingered, touching him generated searing heat.
His hands went to her face
. Hard, calloused hands, but they caressed her with astonishingly desperate tenderness.
Ellis
lined every contour of her face. Feathered her high cheeks and arching eyebrows. Played gently over her soft ears, like an artist sculpting them.
He eagerly
buried his fingers in her dark hair. Pulled her hot wet mouth closer and deeper to his own. Still their lips did not part.
They
gasped for breath from the sides of their mouths.
One
of his hands slid down her back to her narrow waist and pulled her body closer to his own where she shivered and snaked against him.
They twisted from being side by side to her lying on top of him in his arms.
She stretched like a feline against him, generating even more impossible heat where their bodies worked together. She caught her breath slightly, enjoying the luxury of his hands on her body.
They
slid up from her waist, caressing her sides. Up her ribs.