Chapter 6

~ Hel ~

Upon entering the throne room, Hel saw a huge male who looked almost identical to Raec trussed with his hands above his head. He looked like he’d recently taken a beating. “What’s wrong with you people? Why in the hell hasn’t anyone cut him down?”

Pulling out her knife she approached him tentatively. He jerked in his restraints at the sight of her blade.

Raec spoke quietly to his brother. “Calm down, Arac. Our new human queen and I are here to release you from your service to the queen.”

“God, did I smell that awful when I called my queen? I feel like I’m going to choke.”

Raec opened his mouth to speak, but apparently decided against it because his jaw set into a firm line as he worked the restraints.

Trying to soothe things over, she murmured, “I think you brother smells fantastic. It must be a scent designed to lure women.”

“Our ability to call a queen is the byproduct of hundreds of years of selective breeding. Of course our scent is designed to appeal to our queens. I am simply remarking upon how offensive it is to other males.”

“Look, don’t bite my head off. We’re here to do what we can to remedy your situation.”

Finally, they managed to get him free and he immediately brought his hands down to rub his wrists. “Thanks be to the gods that my service is no longer required. I wish to be left alone with my young.”

“Your wishes will be honored.”

Turning to Vraden, she tried to keep the disgusted look off her face. “Call your healers and get him to medical unit at once. See that he is well cared for and is given priority accommodations with his young.”

“You are too generous, my queen.”

“Jesus, stop with the queen business already.”

Alexis grabbed her arm. “I know how stressful this is for all of us. Maybe now is not the best time to shove them all out of their comfort zone. They have an intact social order. Let’s just follow it for now.”

“You’re right. I don’t know what I was thinking.”

“You were shocked at seeing this kind of abuse. We aren’t used to being exposed to shit like this. Just stay calm and keep your head about you. We’ll get through this, just like we always do.”

Hel flashed her sister a strained smile. “It’s time to be big ass heroes, right?”

“Yeah, if we play our cards right we might just make it out of this situation alive, and save a bunch of hot insectoid guys in the process.”

Penny stuck her face into their field of vision. “Count me in. What can I do?”

“Stick right by our side. I don’t want you out of our sight.”

Folding her arms over her chest, she pouted. “Great, I’m the useless third wheel.”

Grabbing her arm, Hel pulled her forward into a tight three person huddle. “No, you’re not. We need you to keep your eyes open and your ear to the ground to pick up whatever we’re missing. You’re good with details, and we need that now more than ever if we’re gonna make it home alive.”

For once, Penny was speechless. Her eyes were as big as saucers and her head barely nodded as she took a deep cleansing breath.

“We need to keep our emotions in check and our heads clear. That damn queen was bred to be intelligent, shrewd, and calculating. It’ll take all three of us working together to outsmart her.”

“I agree. This whole damned situation is stacked against us.” Alexis’ exasperated voice evidenced her frustration.

“We can do this if we stick together and keep our heads screwed on straight.”

The three women broke formation and turned to the drones with a renewed sense of purpose. Walking up the three step platform, they squeezed onto the huge throne together. Since it was built for the oversized body of a Maruvian queen, it was more the size of human love seat.

Hel spoke with the commanding voice she normally used to get things done. “Give us a quick verbal run down on operations.”

“I am unsure what information you seek, my queen. Our ship is advanced far beyond any we’ve encountered in this galaxy. We have shielding and camouflage technology in place. Our engine is fueled by energy crystals that initiate a photonic reaction in our core. We depleted our supply breaching worlds and engaging in three battles.”

“Talk to me about troop numbers.”

“We have over seven hundred drones aboard this vessel.” He opened his mouth to speak again but thought better of it.

“Finish your thought, Vraden.”

Looking away, he sealed his lips.

“My sire does not wish to speak of our young for fear that you will execute them.”

Swiveling her head to look at Raec, she frowned. “Why would anyone kill children?”

“Clearly, our young are at great risk because they belong to a rival queen. Drones value the lives of our young in a way that queens will never understand because we spawn them ourselves.”

“Not all queens think that way.”

“Kabelda killed them quite regularly herself, weeding out the ones she felt were weak or unfit.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, we are not like your former queen. The first order of business is to dispel this idea that people are expendable. We don’t kill over minor offenses; we simply dole out unpleasant tasks until they fall into line. No one dies without a fair trial, a chance to defend himself, and a guilty verdict. Then he’ll probably end up getting banished to a deserted planet. There’s no excuse for indiscriminately killing people all the damned time.”

“You are wise beyond your years, my queen.”

“Assign drones to care for the children and see their medical needs are addressed immediately.” When the older man nodded, a rippling of whispers could be heard in the room. “Now, back to the task at hand. How will Kabelda track us?”

“She can easily follow our decaying exhaust trail, unless we disguise it.”

“Don’t do that. We need her to follow us if we are to trap her.”

“You mean destroy.”

“I did not say destroy, Vraden. Don’t presume to put words into my mouth. I mean to trap her and banish her to a planet devoid of sentient life. Humans consider being alone with nothing but endless years to ponder one’s poor life choices to be a severe punishment.”

“Killing her is a goal we might achieve, trapping her will be nearly impossible.”

“Since she is Maruvian, she will have certain expectations.”

“It would not occur to her to think you would wish to trap her like an animal. Kabelda is very aware of the danger she poses. She will see the only rational choice as you hunting and killing her from a distance.”

“In order to trap her, I need draw out her emotions and keep her off balance. To do that, I need to know what she values most. In my world, women value their mate and their offspring above all else. However, Kabelda abuses and debases these things, so it’s clear she does not hold them in high esteem.”

Raec quickly answered her question. “Heart stones are the one thing our queens truly value. Deprive her of those and she will be furious enough to make mistakes in judgement.”

“Ah, I have heard of these. Humans call them pleasure stones. I have seen them. They look like glass.”

Penny spoke up. “Can we shatter them with sonic vibrations?”

Vraden stepped forward. “Destroying heart stones is an act punishable by death on our world.”

“We’re not on your world. We must make her desperate enough to follow us, and furious enough to make mistakes.”

She could tell that they were infringing upon important cultural beliefs because he was quiet for a long while before speaking again. “Destroying her heart stones would most certainly accomplish that goal. It is so far out of the realm of anything she would expect that she will outraged.”

“I wish to preserve the ones on this ship. Can you gather them up and shield them while we release the sonic blast?”

“There is no need to gather them. They are all in your new quarters, as they were formerly her quarters.”

“Just assign us a regular suite. I have no desire to stay where she has been.”

Seeming to understand her reluctance, he immediately acquiesced to her request. “I will have new quarters prepared for you.”

“Assist us in selecting a planet for your former queen.”

“With pleasure, my queen.” Pulling up a holographic image of the sector of space they were currently inhabiting, they had a prolonged conversation about all the uninhabited planets. Hel ruled out the ones that were not capable of supporting life, leaving a little over a dozen options.

“Might I suggest IG-793. It is the most isolated of the remaining selections.”

“Are there any energy crystals to be found on that planet?”

“Yes, my queen. There are sufficient quantities to make the repairs we need and replenish our stock.” Reaching out he tapped each, making them glow brighter than the rest.

Hel thought it over carefully. “Fine, IG-100827 will be our designated refueling stop. She will scan the planet and know why were selected that planet. What of this planet?” Pointing to 793, she explained. “It is wild, unsettled and has the advantage of being in our flight path to IG-100827. We can force her down on 793 and then leave a marker in orbit indicating the surface is contaminated with a deadly biological contagion.”

Smiling, Vraden nodded. “Clever strategy.”

“Turn the ship around and, when we are close enough, emit the sonic blast. Hit them hard.”

“Our ship is fast. It will only take moments.”

“Good. As soon as we verify the heart stones are fractured beyond use, we make for 100827.”

They watched as a huge holographic viewer lit up, displaying the surrounding space. About twenty small shuttles came into view. Suddenly, the queen’s face jumped onto the view screen. “You dare to sit upon my throne, imposter?”

“Do you realize that you start every sentence in much the same manner?”

“You will die a slow and painful death, human.”

“You mentioned that before as well, yet here I sit, having deprived you of your ship, your queen maker, and your young.”

Her face twisted into an ugly snarl. “A temporary victory, I can assure you. The drone and young will suffer greatly merely because you have dared to touch them.”

“They aren’t the only things I touched. I am now in possession of all your pleasure stones. What was once your most prized possession now belongs to me.”

A throaty rumble of frustration escaped the alien queen’s lips, as she glared at Helena.

Standing with a strength she definitely didn’t feel, Hel faced off with the woman. “In order to leave no doubt in your mind about my superiority over you, I will now take your pleasure stones as well.”

A quick motion of her hand was all it took for Vraden to release the sonic blast. It was strong enough to inhibit the shuttle’s navigational systems, sending them adrift for a brief moment.

“It is done, my queen. Scans reveal no active heart stones. In a few seconds the ships will regain their ability to track our movements again, and their navigational systems will come back on line minutes after that.”

“Slowly turn and move the ship away, increasing speed at a steady pace.”

“She will see it as an insult that you turn your back and don’t hasten your retreat.”

“That is exactly what I want her to think. Building insult upon insult may provoke her into making mistakes we can exploit. Also, it is far better for us to encourage her to get caught up in the dynamic between us than we move so quickly they lose track of us.”

“Again, that is an impressive strategy. I always wondered what was going on in a queen’s mind when she made battle plans.”

“We must remain vigilant. Anything could go wrong with our hastily devised plan.”

“I will take approximately two days to reach IG-100827. Might I suggest you rest?” Bringing his hand to his com, he listened for a moment before speaking again. “I am told the drones have created a space for the three of you.”

Standing, Hel stretched. She wasn’t sure she’d be able to rest aboard the strange ship, knowing the Maruvian queen was pursuing them. The lease could do was see to it that her sisters did. Following the older man, it occurred to her that she hadn’t gotten to speak to the drones she had asked to assemble. Things were simply moving too quickly. Raec stayed at her back the entire way to their new quarters, Armon was never far from Penny, nor was the drone sweet on Alexis ever anywhere except at her side. Hel couldn’t decide if that made them more or less safe. She was leaning towards less safe at the moment because she still didn’t fully trust the flesh eater.

Walking into a huge renovated cargo bay, she saw that they had set up three large beds, seating, a table and chairs, and thick carpets to cover the utilitarian flooring. The attendants turned from their various tasks to wait for orders.

“The accommodations are much nicer than expected. You have our thanks.”

“We have prepared you a bath.” Motioning towards what appeared to be some sort of makeshift swimming pool, she saw they had laid out towels and soaps.

“Again, thank you for your kindness. We wish to be alone now.”

Staring at her bizarrely, he asked, “You will assist each other with grooming?”

“We each take care of our own grooming. It is the way with humans.”

As the drones filed out of the room, the man held out a basket containing clear stones. She recognized them immediately as pleasure stones. “We will not need those.”

“You pleasure each other as well?”

“Hell no, we do not. Take those with you and scoot the hell on out of here.”

“You have my most humble apologies, my queen.”

Even ordering them out had no effect on the warriors. Raec and the others stepped back to stand against the wall.

“We want privacy.”

“I meant no offense, only to learn of your ways.”

Alexis broke into the conversation. “She’s all kinds of messed up right now. We haven’t had a good night’s sleep in a very long time.”

“Yet you turn us away. We are responsible for your physical and spiritual well-being. It would be an honor to assist you in relaxing.”

Jerking her head up, Hel looked into the drone’s sincere face. “I’m sorry. Is this like a spa or something? I thought you were part of a haram.”

The man’s expression turned to one of amusement. “We wash hair, shine claws and massage tired muscles. Ones such as us are not normally selected for breeding with a queen.” He glanced sideways at Raec a brief moment before he spoke again. “You have your own queen maker. Surely, you would not cast him aside in favor of drone.”

“I’m not sure what all that means but you can stay and help if that’s truly all you do. In fact, you can start with Penny.”

Wrinkling his nose, the drone replied diplomatically, “I can see she has a greater need at the moment.”

“She’s starting to smell like that damned creature she’s so attached too.”

“I will see to it, my queen.”

Taking Penny over to the bath, he assisted her to remove her clothing. Penny was not letting go of her panties for love nor money though, which made perfect sense under the circumstances. The teen jumped into the huge pool and splashed all around, making a huge mess.

Several more personal assistants came back into the room. One had some kind of warm beverage. It tasted a bit like buttered rum, but clearly wasn’t. After Penny came out of the pool, Alexis took a turn.

Several drones swarmed Penny. Much to her absolute delight, they trimmed her hair, brushed it until it was dry, and fitted her with a sleeping gown. Penny crawled into bed happy and content. It was nice to see, since she’d been through so much. Armon jumped onto the bed and lay at her feet, apparently in no need of bed coverings to sleep. Hel had to keep reminding herself that he wasn’t a pet. It was difficult, because he sure did act like one.

The drones teamed up on Alexis much the same manner and had her tucked into another of the beds in record time.

Hel walked over to the pool and realized it must have some purification system built in, because the water was still clear and pristine. She peeled off her clothing, not much caring if they saw her naked butt. Being able to take a nice warm bath after everything they had endured was nothing short of heaven. Leaning back she closed her eyes, only opening them when she heard a male approaching.

“I can bathe myself.”

“I thought you might like a relaxing back massage. I brought a heart stone for you to use.”

“Get that thing away from me.”

“You are the first queen to have ever uttered those words.”

“I have no intention of growing a liking for something that I can never afford to buy.”

“You now own thousands of them.”

“I don’t own anything. They belong to your people. Why can no one here understand that?”

“As you wish, my beautiful queen.” Setting the basket aside, he stepped back a few paces before turning to leave the room. Everything about their subservient manner rubbed her the wrong way.

Leaning back again, Hel allowed herself to relax.

Suddenly a deep voice drew her from her internal ramblings. “Drones would give much to enjoy the pleasure you so radically refuse, my queen.”

“Why is it, Raec, that when you use that damned despicable title it doesn’t make me feel like total crap?”

“I called you up. Being your queen maker means you’re my queen in a way no other male can claim.”

“Let me guess. Your people see queen makers as life mates to queens, right?”

Squatting down beside the bath, he responded harshly. “Hardly. We are seen as breeders, nothing more. Kabelda refused to allow my brother access to his own young.”

“Tell me if I’m wrong, but I get the feeling your brother didn’t want to be her queen maker, your father wasn’t thrilled about being my actionator, and you seem disappointed to have ended up as my queen maker.”

“Our line has been in the service of queens for many generations. Let me just say it is a difficult life to bear. To my eternal shame, I admit to praying the gods would spare me from such a fate. I have no wish to spawn sons, only to see them enslaved and abused at the hands of a queen.”

Several of the males standing guard, made quiet sounds of anger and frustration.

“They do not approve that I speak my mind to you in such a way.”

Smiling knowingly, she responded, “Because all drones are supposed to shut up and do whatever a woman tells them, right?”

“It is the natural order of things.”

“Shall I tell you the natural order of things for humans?”

Nodding, he stared into her eyes.

“Among our people, females outnumber males almost three to one and very few of them are what your kind call breeders. Most are older males with white hair. We don’t know exactly why but we seem to be producing diminishing numbers of males. That makes relationships between men and women unbalanced. The few breedable men can afford to be choosey, and if a woman wants a family, she has to pretty much do whatever he says or he’ll just walk off and start a whole new family with someone else.”

Now it was Raec’s turn to make an angry trilling sound. “Your drones abandon their queens and their young?”

“They sure do. Human women like equal relationships where both people get to take turns being in charge. The unequal power dynamic here is really frustrating. I feel like the responsibility is always on my shoulders when, surely to God, your people know more about handling this situation with the queen than I do.”

“Queens have the right of choosing. Males are punished for interfering.”

“I find myself warming up to the idea of being with you, Raec.”

“You say things a male wants to hear simply to lure him in. Once you have secured my cooperation, things will change. Such was the case with my brother and most queens.”

“You are pretty jaded to be so young.”

“I do not know this word. I am realistic.”

“Come bathe with me, Raec.”

Allowing his eyes to roam over her, he looked almost wistful.

“I should call an assistant for you.”

“I do not wish it. I want to learn the secrets of the stones with you. Will you allow me to rub it on your body?”

The man jumped up and he searched her face for something. “Surely you jest?”

Gesturing him towards her, her mouth tilted into a lopsided grin. “Get into the water, Raec. Let me prove to you how unlike the Maruvian queens I am.”

Nodding, he unhitched his one article of clothing and allowed it to drop to the floor. The man was as smooth as a Ken doll but stunningly gorgeous. “Give me the stone and turn around.”

He sat with his back to her and held the stone up for her to grab. The others were standing open mouthed watching them. Since Hel knew they were probably not going to leave three queens unguarded, she tried her best to ignore them.