Chapter 12
Piras managed a second night free of Kila. He pretended the tossing and turning he did between uneasy bouts of sleep was because he’d made a difficult decision. He pretended his bed didn’t feel huge and lonely. He pretended he didn’t care that Kila had made no attempt to contact him after their last meeting. He pretended he didn’t dwell on how that encounter might have ended up had Chief Engineer Lokmi not been present.
Morning dawned, and Piras continued to make believe. When he commed Kila soon after rising, asking for an early meeting in his office, he told himself it was because they needed to move along with their mission.
He didn’t need to know what Kila had been doing, why he hadn’t gotten in touch, or how he now felt about Piras. He most certainly didn’t want to see Kila because he missed the brute.
Piras was an old hand at imagining others no longer meant anything to him. Yet just as in the past, he knew the sham for what it was: a cover for hurt.
When Kila showed up for their meeting, Piras looked at the bruises, cuts, and bite marks on the Nobek’s exposed neck and arms and feigned disinterest.
He tried to ignore the jealousy that sent the taste of acidic bile to fill his mouth.
He forced himself not to grind his teeth at Kila’s relaxed satisfaction that spoke of a recent intimate tryst.
It was a ridiculous response anyway, he counseled himself.
He’d invested no time in Kila. He’d not lost sixteen years to a pointless affair this time. Why should he care that the man showed all the signs of a torrid sexual encounter?
His business-like performance over the next half hour as he presented his plan was one for the books, he thought. It helped that his feelings were so mixed about what was to happen. The distraction was a welcome one, helping him to get through the meeting so that Kila could get out of his sight.
When he finished his presentation, Kila regarded him with interest…but not of the personal nature. “Laro Space Station. That’s a fascinating target,” he mused.
“Hopefully, the Basma will agree.”
Piras gave him a small records drive. “Here is the shift schedule, the crew turnover schedule, and when the destroyers do their fly-bys. Also included is everything I told you; my case that Laro is a prime acquisition in the Basma’s battle against the Empire.”
“All right. That will save me having to remember the many points you made.”
“You can report that I will continue to work to get the control codes for the unmanned defensive stations. I anticipate few problems in doing so. It will just take time.”
Kila eyed the drive before slipping it into a pouch on his belt. “If the Basma can claim that sector, the lab specimen trade will be an easy matter between him and Bi’is. I have to say that you’ve made an excellent choice.”
“Do you think Maf will go for it?”
Kila’s thoughtful nod was both a victory and defeat to Piras. “He’d be a fool not to. It would bring the funds he needs and do away with the need to take care of his prisoners. I’ll pass this along to Dramok Sitrel and see what he has to say, but I can’t imagine there will be much argument. Nicely done, Admiral. Welcome to the revolution.”
Piras scowled, his conscience pricking him. All at once, giving Maf the space station hurt more than thinking Kila’s interest in him had waned. Even though he would have preferred the Nobek to take his leave, Piras switched topics to distract himself from the fate of Laro.
“Did you get your differences with your chief engineer taken care of?”
He had not dreamed it might be the Imdiko who had left all those marks on Kila, but the captain’s predatory grin said it all. “You’d like him, I think. Did I mention he’s half-Dramok?”
“You did.”
Despite himself, Piras felt a spark of interest along with worry. Did Kila compare Lokmi to him and find Piras wanting?
“The irritating bastard prefers control. I’m glad to report he’s dealing with a bit of smarting pride today,”
Kila gloated.
Piras thought about the handsome Lokmi. He found it interesting that he was a dual-breed Imdiko who would fight a Nobek for control. How would a man like that feel about someone who offered himself rather than oppose being topped?
Forget it. I can’t keep playing these games. It’s not worth the effort. He said to Kila, “I suppose he gave you a good fight.”
“A very good fight. He even won once, but I still claimed two out of three victories. I have no doubt we’ll be at cross-purposes again in the future. With luck, many times. He’s a demanding creature and will insist on beating me for dominance again.”
Piras managed to keep his voice even. “You look forward to that.”
“I can’t say I don’t. But then again, I’ve learned that I also enjoy being handed control too.”
The grin Kila gave Piras was both terrifying and enthralling. “I can’t get that with Lokmi. I think he’ll challenge me every time.”
Piras refused to believe Kila found their trysts as enjoyable as the one he’d gotten from the Imdiko. Maybe Kila was trying to be kind. “I thought Nobeks lived to fight for their fun.”
“Maybe the one Nobek you compare to the rest of us.”
Fury swept in to replace jealousy. Piras slammed his fists to the desktop. “Stop bringing him up. It’s done and I’ve accepted it.”
Kila eyed him with open disbelief. Piras didn’t give him the satisfaction of squirming. He even managed to keep from clenching his jaw, though the urge to grind his teeth was almost overwhelming. He stared at the Nobek, making his demeanor cold after the burst of fiery anger.
Finally, Kila shrugged. “Perhaps you have, and perhaps you haven’t. It doesn’t matter so long as you do as you are told. I want you on my ship tonight. In my bed. I’m ready for a nice, compliant fuck now.”
Piras’s heart sped up, but his pride wasn’t ready to be overcome by lust. Not even for someone as tempting as Kila. “Which you’re not getting. Not from me.”
Kila went on as if he’d never spoken. “I never got around to putting my laundry in for cleaning this morning. You can enjoy the scent of my chief engineer while I shove my cock in your tight ass.”
“I said no. I don’t want to.”
Piras was pretending again, but he couldn’t help it. Not when Kila kept alluding to Lidon.
One moment he was sitting in his chair, glaring at the Nobek. The next, he was on the floor, on his face and knees with Kila’s hand wrapped around the back of his neck.
The captain rubbed his ass and then reached between his legs to Piras’s groin to massage his cocks. The harsh friction was equally hurtful and exciting. Piras was hard in an instant. He cried out in denial, but his muscles went lax with eager surrender. He offered no resistance to Kila’s attack.
The Nobek’s hot breath in his ear sent a violent thrill up Piras’s spine. “Don’t you lie to me, boy. You want it. You want it the way I tell you to want it.”
He yanked the crotch of the Dramok’s uniform open and grabbed the larger length that spilled out.
Piras shuddered as the hand worked him mercilessly. He wanted Kila, all right. More importantly, Kila still wanted him. Even after tussling with an Imdiko who fucked more like a Dramok than he could, Kila still wanted Piras.
The admiral moaned in mingled relief and desire. The hurt of the past couple of days disappeared. He lost himself in the security of the Nobek’s iron control, in the sensual delight of the calloused grip working his cock. His hips moved, driving him deeper into Kila’s hand. Heat flooded his loins, readying for the final submission.
Kila let him go. His boots appeared before Piras’s face. The Dramok raised his head and stared in confusion up at the man looming over him.
Kila licked wetness from his hand, his mocking smile pleased. “Com me on your way over tonight. I’ll put your access in my door commands so you can be waiting for me. Naked and with your ass in the air, ready to be fucked.”
He leaned over to smack Piras’s upraised rear. He hit hard enough to rock him, and exciting warmth pulsed through Piras’s flesh. He reached for Kila’s ankle.
The smooth leather of the Nobek’s boot slipped through his grip as he turned on his heel. Kila strutted out, leaving Piras crouched on the floor, his cocks hanging out. Leaving him to take care of the fierce erections himself.
Piras’s legs were too shaky to hold him up at first. He crawled into his private restroom facility and locked himself in. He found relief after a few seconds, cursing Kila the entire time.
* * * *
Kila was in high spirits upon his return to the destroyer.
Life was good.
The mission was on track, he’d had more fun with Lokmi than any man had the right to expect the day before, and a glorious night of sexual pursuits with Piras was on tap.
Danger, fighting, and fucking…what more could a Nobek want?
It was hard to settle down to a more professional mindset, but he needed to do so.
He’d reviewed Piras’s report to the Basma on the shuttle flight back to his ship.
More than ever, he was impressed with the admiral.
Despite the admiral’s personal issues, Kila felt sure his recommendation of Piras for the mission had been a solid one.
Laro Station though…Kila felt the pain of handing over that particular target to Maf.
Every man who’d come through the fleet had spent time in that particular facility.
It was a respite from the confines of the ships, a place to meet up with other crews, connect with friends, and throw off the yoke of duty in a dangerous area for at least a few glorious hours.
Thinking about it in the Basma’s hands was almost like losing a home.
Yet it could not be denied Piras had hit on a brilliant focus.
Now it was time to see if Maf would take the bait.
Kila went to engineering rather than his ready room.
His personal space there awaited him, with the computer that might be overlooked if his activities ever came into question by Fleet Security, which remained unaware of his ship’s true assignments.
The hum of the engines was the loveliest sound Kila knew, and he caught himself humming along with them.
He looked around to see if Lokmi was around, knowing full well the Imdiko was off duty at that time.
Still, it wouldn’t be surprising to find the chief engineer fucking around with Kila’s engines…and earning more ‘punishment’ in the process.
Kila fought to quell another smile that felt so out of place considering what he was up to.
He inserted an earpiece as soon as he stood at the podium with his computer. His crew’s loyalty to the fleet could not be questioned, the very reason they had been assigned to his ship. He still liked to play things close when it came to communications with the enemy. Should any of his men be caught and interrogated by either side of the fight, they would lack pertinent information to share.
Minutes later, Dramok Sitrel, Maf’s longtime aide and most trusted accomplice, was online. The man’s voice was characteristically cold as he responded to Kila’s report on the capture of the Fleet Command traitor.
It was particularly chilly as they discussed the Nobek’s choice for a replacement.
“The loss of Banrid is a blow to our intelligence-gathering efforts. But tell me, Captain Kila, why Admiral Piras? How did you broach the matter of him joining the revolution? He’s known for his loyalty to the Empire.”
“Are you and I not loyal to the Empire? Of course we are. That is why we’ve rejected the rule of the Imperials and Royal Council. It has come to my attention that Piras has also felt shaky on that score for some time.”
Kila’s tone was its usual when speaking to Sitrel: somewhat friendly without scraping for approval. Talking to the hateful traitor without letting loathing drip into his voice was a task in itself. “As for how I came to know he might be willing to show his loyalty to Kalquor and its people, I only had to see his reaction to Banrid’s arrest.”
“Which was?”
“We’ve been acquainted for some time. He’s quite comfortable with talking to me. In an unguarded moment, he made certain statements to me that hinted at how he felt. Nothing overt, but as you’ve noticed, I can sense the true feelings of such people.”
“You have been good at finding allies where we need them most.”
Sitrel’s voice was more grudging than grateful, and Kila smirked. He suspected the man hated anyone showing they might be as important to the Basma’s cause as he was.
Sitrel continued. “Losing Banrid has weighed on our leader. If Piras can take his place and keep us apprised as to what the fleet’s movements are, it would be of great help.”
Kila grinned fiercely. An opening had appeared. Now he needed to do what he could to bust it wide open. “He can do better. In fact, he already has, in hopes of assuring our leader of his fidelity to his cause. Standby for transmission.”
Kila sent Piras’s files and proposal to the slimeball on the other end. There was a long silence from the Dramok. Kila waited for his reaction, letting part of his mind wander.
Kila mused over the attraction that had sprung up not only for Piras, but for Lokmi as well. Why should he be surprised now that he knew them both better? Each fulfilled a different need: Piras with his willingness to let Kila take the lead, and Lokmi with his demands that Kila win that right.
They were quite a pair, all right. Kila found them equally compelling. He wondered how they would feel about each other if he could get them together. Lokmi dominating Piras – now that would be worth watching. And participating in. Had Piras ever had the pleasure of being commanded by two men at the same time?
Thinking how he’d left Piras in the admiral’s office, aroused and eager, made Kila grin from ear to ear. He didn’t have long to enjoy the memory, however. Sitrel started talking again, taking him away from the delicious visualization.
“Well, Captain Kila. This is interesting information about Laro Station. But why should we care about gaining such a small area in the border defenses with Bi’is? It’s far away from where we have our strongest holdings. It gets us nothing.”
Kila snorted, letting the other man hear his derision. “Don’t play with me, Sitrel. I’m perfectly aware of what has been done in the past with illegal trades to Bi’isil research facilities.”
“We don’t talk about that, even over a secure channel,”
Sitrel seethed.
“Piras also mentioned to me that the Basma’s accounts have been shut down. Our revolution needs money, lots of it, to keep some of the less faithful fighting for us. You might not want to talk about the research station that’s across the border from Laro, but it’s the best chance of regaining much-needed cash flow.”
Silence. Kila imagined Sitrel chewing on the fact he knew about the loss of funding. He let him stew for a few seconds before playing his next card. “Fine, Dramok. If you don’t want Piras’s offer of Laro’s schedules, along with the passcodes he can gain to give you control over the unmanned stations in that sector, I’ll kill him. He will not be a loose end to worry yourself over.”
“He can get us control over that sector? The unmanned stations too?”
Gotcha, Kila thought. “He can and will…provided your fleet doesn’t fuck things up. You’ll still have to battle for possession of Laro Station, but that’s not my concern.”
“Not to mention the resources we’ll have to go through just to fight our way there. Does Piras have a plan for that?”
“I could ask him. Knowing him, he’s got it figured out to the last blaster.”
Kila believed it. Piras was brilliant with strategy.
There was another long beat before Sitrel’s grudging approval came through. “I will discuss the matter with our leader and get back to you. Check the frequency at the usual times until I make contact.”
He was gone. Kila shut off his end of the frequency connection, erased the record that the com had been made, and otherwise covered his tracks as best as possible. He pulled the earpiece out with a sigh.
Now they would have to wait for Maf’s acceptance. Like most Nobeks, Kila wasn’t good with sitting around in anticipation of the next course of action. He’d been stuck with a lot of waiting lately.
At least he had the night to look forward to. Oh, how he looked forward to tonight. His good mood returned in a flash as the thought of Piras surrendering to him again made him chuckle.