Commander Zerk’k Arkti
I watched until the golden-haired human was out of sight, worried about the untold horrors she may experience at the hands of the bitter Thressl’n females who had been charged the task of looking after the humans. Times were hard, indeed, and there were many purists out there, particularly the Thressl’n women, who believed that we would be better off keeping our genetic pool pure.
But that was no longer an option. There was no way that our race would survive if we did. Although I agreed in theory, there was nothing to be done about it.
“Commander, Camp #2 is asking for your assistance. The human females are being subdued, but there is trouble.”
“Of course,” I said, pushing the thoughts of my female out of my head and following Jerd down the path. We stepped inside the tent and I was immediately shocked by the wild-eyed females. The Thressl’n women could hold their own, and the females were mostly subdued, but there was one woman, of ideal physiological stock, who was giving them hell. It would have been impressive had she not been breaking very expensive equipment.
“Stop!” I demanded. She paused for a moment, her wide brown eyes staring into mine. She was attractive, but nowhere near as glamorous as my female.
“Screw you!” she exclaimed.
“Please, calm down. Tell me, what is it you need? We want to make you comfortable here.”
“What I need is to go home!” she exclaimed.
“I’m sorry,” I said. “But right now, that isn’t possible.”
“When will it be possible?!” she exclaimed.
I thought about what Supreme Leader Aloitus had said about an overpopulation of humans on our planet and sighed. Perhaps I could come up with a solution that was good for everybody.
“I will work on it. For now, however, if you do not calm down, you are going to spend the majority of your time on this planet unconscious. Is that what you want?”
Her eyes flashed defiantly. “You have no right to do this.”
“Actually, I have every right. And I am giving you an option. Either you cooperate, or you will face the consequences for insubordination.”
Her chin jutted out, but she seemed to be calming down a bit.
“I am Second in Command,” I told her. “If you cooperate, it is possible I can send some women back to Earth. But if you refuse and continue destroying valuable property, you will remain here indefinitely.”
Her complexion paled, and I walked away from her knowing that my words would be enough to keep her calm.
“How did it go, Commander?” Jerd asked once I ducked out of the tent.
“The situation has been subdued,” I replied.
“That is good news,” Jerd replied.
I nodded, walking away from the tent with a stretch, and my stomach rumbled. This whole trip had been nothing but stressful. Now that I was home, it was time to enjoy a real meal and relax for the first time in far too long.
***
“Welcome back, Commander,” Trillis said, smiling sweetly at me.
“Hello, Trillis,” I said, sitting down at last in my own home.
Trillis had been in my life ever since I was a small boy. She had been appointed to serve me, much like a nanny or a maid. Instead of resenting it, though, she felt honored by the privilege of working for the Second in Command. And it took pressure off of my parents to care for me. They had been doing their part in the effort to repopulate Jenal’k, and were plagued by several other children who were not blessed with the same privileges I had received upon their birth. My siblings required most of their time and energy, and, even now, most of my paycheck.
“How was your mission?” she asked, placing a steaming hot bowl of my favorite Thressl’n stew in front of me.
“Successful,” I said. “For the most part.”
“Trouble with Aloitus?” Trillis asked, sighing and sitting down across from me.
“Always,” I sighed. “He had me stand up in front of everyone and tell them it was my fault if something bad happened because of the humans.”
“What?” Trillis asked, anger leaking into her aged voice. “He approved the proposal revolutions ago!”
I shrugged. “That’s Aloitus for you.”
“Well, I think you would make a much better Supreme Leader than Aloitus. Rumor is quickly spreading about the last scandal.”
“Oh?”
This made me perk up. If the community at large decided together that Aloitus was too corrupt to maintain his hold on power, then I would be promoted. That meant no more flying.
“Yes, word has gotten out. Someone in a high position at the palace was scorned one too many times, I think, and threatened to come clean about everything. Aloitus wanted to put him in the holding chamber, but a group of rebels helped him go into hiding before Aloitus’ henchmen got to him.”
“Wow, a lot happened while I was gone,” I said, mulling over this new information. It was no wonder Aloitus was being so aggressive about the females. He knew anything that went wrong would look bad and potentially turn the populace against him. Did he really think he wouldn’t deserve that if it happened?
“It was a long time to be out in space,” Trillis said, looking at me knowingly. She was the only person who seemed to understand just how much I despised being out in space for such long stretches of time. I had never told her, but she had been with me since I was a small child. She knew me better than I knew myself in ways.
“Yes,” I said, still feeling embarrassed to speak out loud about my detest for leaving home. “I’m glad to be back.”
“What is Earth like?” she asked, changing the subject.
“But?” Trillis asked, raising an eyebrow at me. It wasn’t often that I withheld anything from her. In a way, this kindly older female was my best friend and confidant.
“I met a human female,” I eventually said.
Trillis brightened.
“That’s only natural,” she said, trying to play it cool. “That’s what you went there for.”
But from the way her eyes were sparkling, I knew that she was already guessing what was going on.
“I’ve never seen anybody like her before,” I said. The powerful surge of longing I’d felt simply laying eyes on her the first time had been overwhelming. And now, I couldn’t go five minutes without fighting thoughts of her out of my head. And I still didn’t really know her name. Doctor was only a title. I hadn’t thought to ask while she was coherent. Things had just moved so quickly.
“What is she like?” Trillis asked, pouring me a cup of hot flek.
“She’s…beautiful,” was all I could say.
“You know, you have the right to claim whichever female you like,” Trillis said. “You never use your status the way you should. You could claim her right now, and nobody would be able to stop you. Even Aloitus would shrug it off.”
It was true. I hadn’t thought of that before. Trillis’ eyes sparkled as I scarfed my meal down as quickly as I could and rose from the table.
“Thanks, Trillis,” I said, bowing deeply to her. She gave me a shorter, graceful bow in return, and I could hear her tinkling laughter as I left.
***
“Understood, sir,” the Thressl’n female in charge stepped aside and allowed me through the entrance of Camp 7, the camp full of the females I had delivered personally. My eyes scanned the long rows of sleeping women and immediately fell on the golden-haired human who had consumed my thoughts for so long.
“Rise,” I said, standing over her.
Desire raced through me when her clear eyes settled upon me, and her full lips settled into a pout.
“Why?” she asked, refusing to budge.
“Do you really want to challenge me?” I asked, fixing a stern look on her. I was surprised at myself. It was so natural for me to treat her the way Thressl’n men treated the women they were mated to for years.
She didn’t speak and rose from the small metal bed.
“You know, it’s cold in here,” she said to me, raising her arms in the air and stretching deeply. My eyes wandered the curves of her body, sparks of desire igniting deep inside of me. “You should get these girls some blankets.”
“Of course,” I said, frowning. It was strange to be dealing with such heavily water-based creatures. The Thressl’n didn’t have issues with body temperature regulation unless we were sick, but humans were so fragile. Maybe it really was a mistake to combine our genetics. But what choice was there?
“Where are we going?” the human asked.
“What is your name?” I said, without answering. How was I to tell her that she was my chosen mate? I had a strong feeling this wouldn’t go over well, and I wanted to save the dramatics for the privacy of my own home.
“Lain,” she said begrudgingly. “Dr. Lain Brousseau. But just call me Lain. Do I just call you Zerk’k?”
“Well I suppose it would be silly for you to call me Commander Arkti,” I said. “So yes.”
“All right,” she said, fixing her eyes forward. I led her to my modest hovercraft and waited for her to step inside.
“What is that thing?” she asked. I could almost hear the gears in her head turning as she walked a circle around my vehicle. Her hand flickered toward her back pocket, but she seemed to think better of it.
“Get in,” I said. I didn’t have the patience for small talk. For a female, she asked a lot of questions. Weren’t humans ever taught to know their place? She was exceptionally rude. And yet I couldn’t help but find it oddly charming.
She waited to observe me get into the driver’s seat of the vehicle before following suit.
“Just because I’m going with you doesn’t mean I like you,” she said, as soon as the doors closed and we were left in the quiet, intimate atmosphere of the craft.
“It doesn’t matter whether you like me or not,” I said, though I couldn’t help but be stung by her words. “You are on this planet for one purpose. And if you don’t serve that purpose, you are going to suffer immensely.”
Lain glowered out the window and crossed her arms over her breasts. I took the chance to study her more closely. Now that we weren’t pressed for time, it was easier for me to take in all the details of her face.
Her neck was long, and her skin a pleasant pink color that was uncommon on the planet Jenal’k. Her lips and cheeks were a much darker, more sensual red, particularly when she was angry, as she was now. And her body, though tiny in comparison to the highly muscular Thressl’n race, was soft and supple. It awakened desires in me I didn’t know I was capable of.
We were both lost in thought for the rest of the ride, until I stopped the hovercraft in front of my home. We sat in silence for a moment before I finally spoke.
“This is going to be your home from now on. I expect you to stay out of the way and to make yourself comfortable. Now follow me; I’ll show you where you’ll sleep.”
Lain glared fiercely at me before hopping out of the vehicle. I sighed. This might not end up being as easy as I thought it would be.
“Oh, hello,” Trillis said, her eyes wide as she took in the human female. She bowed at Lain, and Lain hesitated for a moment before bowing back awkwardly. The way she bowed was wildly improper, and both Trillis and I had to fight to keep from laughing. It was a sweet gesture though, and we both appreciated it.
“Trillis, this is Dr. Lain Brousseau. Lain, Trillis is here every day. Her apartment is upstairs if you ever need anything while I’m away. Trillis, I expect you to take care of her as you’d take care of me.”
“Of course, Commander,” Trillis said, her eyes sparkling. I think both of us knew that my interest in this female went beyond breeding purposes. But convincing the human of that would be another story.
“It’s nice to meet you, Trillis,” Lain said. Trillis laughed in delight.
“It’s nice to meet you, Lain,” she repeated carefully.
Trillis glanced up at me, and it was clear we were both thinking the same thing: this was going to be interesting.