Roran Page 4

  After that, they fell asleep; she didn’t know how long. She only woke because she needed to empty her bladder. Roran roused as she came out of the bathroom, and suggested a shower after he did the same. They were barely wet when he started kissing her. One thing led to another, and he pressed her against the shower wall, lifting her so he could slip his cock into her. To his credit, he made sure she was wet enough to do so.

  Becca loved the feel of his hard chest, pressing against her breasts and rubbing back and forth over her sensitive nipples. When he was getting close, he pinched her nipples and sent her over the edge into release, which set off his as well. As in the galley, she enjoyed the raw hard fucking every bit as much as his slow and tender lovemaking.

  Roran made her forget everything but the feel of him against her and in her. Already she felt she couldn’t get enough. He seemed to bring out wantonness in her she’d never felt before.

  She couldn’t say that she loved him, because she didn’t know him. Right then, she only knew that the sex was good, and thinking about it made her want more.

  Since Roran hadn’t come back to the cabin, Becca decided to look for him. She checked the galley first because it was only a few steps across the short hallway from the cabin. She wanted something to eat, but she didn’t know how to work the appliances.

  Although it was a large ship, most of the space was devoted to the cargo hold. There were four cabins, the galley, and a cozy sitting room with padded furniture anchored to the floor. The bridge was at the front of the ship in a separate chamber. Having checked the lounge, Becca headed for the bridge.

  Before she reached the door, it opened, and Roran came out. He gave her a sexy smirk and paced up to her, folding her into his arms. After kissing her thoroughly and at length, he looked down into her eyes.

  “How do you feel?”

  Well fucked. She thought it and found herself blushing because she couldn’t say that.

  “A little sore and a little homesick. It’s all still sinking in. The last thing I remember was drifting to sleep by the ocean. Next thing, I wake up to a couple of creepy aliens. Now, even if I could go home, it won’t be the same as before I was taken.”

  “I am your home now, and you are mine.” He framed her face in his hands and stroked her blushing pink cheeks with his thumbs.

  As he held her gaze, she believed he meant it. “After I finish this mission, I can finally go back to Farseek to live. We can; I mean. Solmatu doesn’t often come when it is most convenient; my great grand-sire once told me. He said that one must be ready to embrace it when it does because you will only get one chance.”

  “This is all pretty surreal to me,” she said. “I hardly know you. I’m not in love with you, but when I look at you, I want to fuck your brains out.”

  Roran laughed and hugged her. “Ah, me’ara. Sometimes, it happens that way. At least I am told.”

  “What is your mission? What is it that you do?” she asked.

  “I do a lot of things,” he said slowly. “I am first a Farseek Warrior and a pilot. Here in the Sargus Empire, I am known as a smuggler of Consortium Tech. I am also a covert operative for the Consortium, which is at war with the Sargus Empire.”

  “That sounds dangerous,” she said.

  “It can be.”

  “Why is your Consortium at war with the Sargus Empire?”

  “Slavery. Their slavers have been raiding our worlds for star rotations and abducting people to be slaves in their factories, farms, and everything else. We thought the war was over when they signed the Peace Accords. Then they bombed Farseek and took most of the survivors for slaves,” he explained. “Let’s go to the galley and get something to eat, and I will tell you all about it.”

  While they were in the galley, Roran showed Becca where he kept the food and how to prepare it. The cabinets were filled with cases of individually, vacuum-packed meals. They looked like the frozen microwave meals except they weren’t frozen,

  There were six different entrees, a couple of cases of protein bars, dried fruit, and some beverage mixes. Then he showed her the warming unit. It sort of looked like a microwave, but it didn’t make any noise while it was heating the food, just a beep when it finished.

  They carried their meal trays to the counter, then walked around to the other side and sat on the corresponding bar stools.

  “The mission is to find the three thugs that killed my friend and associate. His name was Haemeg, and he wasn’t the kind of guy who made enemies.”

  “And when you find them?”

  “They’re dead,” he growled.

  “And what will happen to you?” she gave him a worried look.

  “This is war, and they are the enemy. If you had seen what they did to Haemeg, you would understand.”

  “I’m sorry about your friend,” she said.

  “You would have liked him. He was Uatu. We grew up on Farseek and trained together for the Farseek Brigade. He saved my life more than once.”

  “Do you know who they are?”

  “We have them on the vid, but we haven’t been able to identify them. I’m backtracking on Haemeg’s itinerary to find out what he might have been into that got him killed.”

  “But, if you go stirring things up, they might come after you,” Becca said.

  “Then, I will know I’m on the right path. Our next stop is Napus in two rotations. I will scan you for size, and we will order you proper clothing that will be waiting when we get there.”

  “The leggings are good, but the shirt is a few sizes big. Are these your leggings?”

  “They are for under a spacesuit. I’ve never had to use them. The Herminia is small enough that I can land in most spaceports so I can make exterior repairs while I am in port or have them done. Feenix lets me know in time.”

  “Feenix is pretty impressive. Is he self-aware?”

  “Sometimes, he seems like it. Feenix is an artificially intelligent being; he is not self-aware in the way we are self-aware. He knows logically what he is, but he has no emotions, although he has been program to recognize emotions in humans. By doing so, he can extrapolate appropriate responses accurately. He is far superior to simply running on autopilot. He’s also good at securing the ship while we’re in port.”

  “Are these places dangerous?” Becca asked.

  “They can be, but my cover is well established, and my cargo bay is full of banned tech.”

  “What kind of tech?”

  “Service droids, food processors, home AI systems, and personal com units. All contraband as long as they continue to abduct and enslave our peoples,” he explained between bites.

  Chapter Seven

  Two rotations later, Becca woke alone in Roran’s bed again. He considered it their bed, but she was still getting used to the idea that they were bound in a relationship like a marriage. On top of that, she felt like she’d stepped into a Star Trek episode.

  Her friends back on Earth would probably think she was crazy to jump into a relationship with a man she barely knew. Mostly, she didn’t think too hard about it. Roran was gorgeous and likable enough, and when he had kissed her, she couldn’t think of a reason to resist. He was a passionate lover, whom she enjoyed. Who knows what could have happened to her, had he not come along?

  Aliens kidnapped her and sold her naked to the highest bidder. She could have been sold to one of the creepiest beings she had seen looking at her while she was still in the holding cells. Had she been able to escape, she wouldn’t even know where to go or who to trust.

  Roran had explained solmatu as he understood it. In ancient times, the Uatu called it a gift from the gods, believing solmatu came to those favored by the gods. Later scientific studies showed that it was genetics and pheromones that determined solmatu.

  Becca believed that because she had felt drawn to Roran from the beginning. Her body clamored for his, something that never happened at this level.

  Still musing, she pulled on the shirt and leggings Roran had given he
r and padded barefoot into the short hallway. When she didn’t find him in the galley kitchen, she went on to the bridge. Roran was standing in front of the view screen, hands on his hip bones, looking at the green and blue planet.

  Although Becca approached almost silently, Roran turned is if he’d sensed her presence. He caught her in his arms and pulled her against him, kissing her mouth lightly.

  “We will be landing in about a quarter-span. The shoes and clothing we ordered for you should be delivered by droid shortly after we land,” he said. “Then we are going out on the town.”

  “But I thought you were on a mission,” Becca replied.

  “I am, but that doesn’t mean we can’t enjoy some fresh food and see the sights.” Roran hugged her. “We should strap in. Feenix has clearance, and we’re getting ready to land.”

  Roran took the pilot seat beside Feenix, and Becca took the crew seat behind Roran. As Becca strapped in, she was awestruck at the scene before them. This was the first time she was fully aware of traveling in space and landing on a planet. She couldn’t take her eyes off the world looming in front of them, growing steadily larger until it filled the viewscreen. It also became darker as the starport was on the dark side.

  After they broke through into the atmosphere, the city lights seemed to indicate a densely populated metropolitan area that extended to the size of Texas on Earth.

  Although it was morning for them, it was evening on Napus, where they landed in the city of Moltakis. The starport was in the older section of the city, and it had started with a single landing pad while Earth was in the middle ages. Settlement on Napus predated the Sargus Empire and fought the Empire’s rule for over a century.

  Napus was an economic hub with abundant resources. In return for a certain level of autonomy, they paid heavily in minerals and manufactured goods to the Sargus Empire. On one side of the Starport was a network of shops, restaurants, night clubs, gambling and pleasure houses. The Empire took its cut of those profits.

  When the Herminia landed at their assigned docking bay, there was a droid tram waiting with a new wardrobe for Becca. They chose work shirts and pants with multiple pockets like those Roran wore. She also got some leggings and soft, comfortable tank tops along with a couple of gowns and some lingerie that Roran picked.

  He used the scanner feature of his com-tablet to measure her for sizes and load her image for the holographic element. They picked clothing, and the AI presented them on her holographic image.

  “Tell me if it’s too much. I can’t read any of the writing,” Becca told him. “Clothes can get expensive…”

  “You are my mate. It’s not a hardship to provide your basic needs.”

  “I am just used to providing for myself. Now all my training is probably obsolete,” she said. “I feel like I should contribute.”

  “You will be sweet one. Your presence will help secure my cover on this mission.”

  “To find out who killed your friend?”

  “Yes.”

  “Aren’t there police or law enforcers to do that?”

  “I’m a Consortium agent, so technically it falls within my duty because we were on the same team,” he said. “Even if we weren’t, I just couldn’t let this slide. If I can find out what he was doing, I can figure out why he was murdered in such a brutal manner.”

  “I just don’t want them to come after you,” she mused.

  “I hope they do,” he said with unexpected fierceness.

  Becca frowned at him.

  “Don’t worry, solmatu. I can protect you. I am a trained warrior and an expert in fehiatu.” Roran reached for her hand. “I owe my life to Haemeg. I can’t let his murderers go unpunished.”

  Becca sighed. “No, I don’t suppose you can.”

  “I only wish that I had found you after I finished,” he admitted.

  “Sorry for the inconvenience,” she said with a touch of irony.

  “I am not sorry, my mate. It just complicates things,” he soothed. “But there are also advantages. Coming to Moltakis to celebrate our bonding is a good cover. We will be doing more celebrating than working. That’s why we must also choose some more festive attire.”

  Roran fingered the screen of his tablet, and Becca’s hologram was multiplied into three holograms wearing different gowns and an elegant pants ensemble. “You will need the proper clothing to blend in.”

  “They are beautiful,” she said. “And I look great in them. Are…?”

  “Don’t ask. You need them for what I have planned. I have come to Moltakis to show off my beautiful new mate,” he explained. “I will make contact with the people who may have information while we are celebrating.”

  “Okay,” she agreed.

  One of Roran’s bots unloaded the droid tram and brought the clothing bags into the cabin he shared with Becca. It had just finished putting them away when they came into the room to look them over.

  “What should I wear?” she asked, looking at the formal wear. They weren’t so different from things she might have bought on Earth to wear.

  “We have time. Try the one you like and see if it feels as good as it looks. That’s the only drawback of buying clothing on the network,” Roran said.

  “I think I’ll try the pants and tunic. That seems like it would be comfortable. Will the shoes actually change color to match the outfit?”

  “Yes, they’re smart shoes. You just pass them over the color you want them to match, and they will change.”

  Becca took them out of the package. They just looked like ordinary flats she used to buy at Wal-Mart. Passing them over the pants, they turned the same shimmering blue as the material. She laughed in delight. “These are incredible. I could make a fortune with these shoes back home. Everyone would want them.”

  “They are supposed to be very comfortable too. We will find out because we will be doing some walking at the hub,” he said with a smile. “I have hired an auto tram to get us there.”

  “What is this place like?”

  “Moltakis is a resort for the wealthy and powerful, with the most exquisite food and all manner of entertainments, and vices. The hub has brightly lit signs and soaring fountains. There are gambling houses and brothels, with tables laden with food, clubs with music and dancing, and theater performances.”

  “It sounds a lot like Las Vegas back on Earth. I never went, but I saw it on TV,” she said. Becca shook her head with a sad look. “This whole situation feels like some kind of science fiction I’ve seen on TV. I’m here on an alien planet, and we came here by an interstellar spacecraft in just a few days---rotations. And now we are going to play spy.”

  “I can promise you that it is all too real. I could do this on my own, but I don’t want to make you sit on the ship while I am out looking for answers.” Roran went to his closet and pulled out a suit that was more formal and elegant than his usual cargo type pants and snug-fitting t-shirts.

  As he started pulling his clothes off to change, Becca did the same. She turned her attention to her tasks because if she watched him taking off his clothes, she would start thinking about jumping him.

  Roran had become her anchor in this new reality. He was one bodacious hunk of man, and the delicious things he could do to her in bed were absolutely scrumptious. He could practically melt her panties with a look. Roran was starting to grow on her, and the sex was mind-blowing. She was discovering she liked his company. Becca couldn’t say she was in love with him, at least not yet, but they were becoming friends. She thought this was what it must be like in an arranged marriage where the bride doesn’t meet her husband until the day of the wedding.

  What he called solmatu may have drawn him to her, but the rest was up to them. They had come to know every inch of each other’s bodies through their intense attraction. All of Becca’s training told her that it was biology.

  Chapter Eight

  Becca shook herself mentally. She had to stop thinking about sex. It was hard being around a man like Roran, who exude
d sexual prowess. Even so, they didn’t spend all their time in sexual pursuits.

  They spent a lot of time talking around mealtime. With Feenix piloting the ship, there wasn’t a whole lot to do while they were traveling between planets. At second meal a couple of days before Roran set down a foldable com-tablet at her place at the counter bar.

  “What’s this?” she asked. “I mean I know it’s a communicator, what do I need it for?”

  “The com-tablet is connected to Herminia, my ship’s AI, which has access to almost limitless information on the Consortium Network.”

  “But I can’t read your language...”

  “Which is why I set it up for voice commands. It will retrieve the information you ask for and read it out loud for you.” He turned it over. “Just hold it with your thumb on that pad and say, “Herminia. …”

  “Yes, Captain, how may I help you?” said a sultry female voice.

  “I am setting up a com-tablet for my mate. Becca, say hello to Herminia.”

  “Hello, Herminia. I am pleased to meet you.”

  “Please set up Becca as a user on our network with a complete audio interface.”

  “Set-up complete.”

  “Ask her something.” Roran gave the tablet to her.

  “Tell me what you know about Earth?”

  “Earth is a Class Seven non-spacefaring world in the United Galactic Alliance of Worlds. Because of increased abductions by slavers, the Alliance made an exception to their non-space faring rule and opened diplomatic relations to protect them better.”

  “How far is Earth from here?”

  The computer gave some astronomic number in a term that Becca didn’t understand.

  “It would take one hundred twenty rotations to get there from here. However, it is not advisable to travel any route in that direction due to open hostilities between the Sargus Empire, the Trans-stellar Consortium and the United Galactic Alliance of worlds.”