Wednesday Briefs: Denied Chapter 41

There was a void between the group even I could feel. Original crew and new. One eyed the other, not quite trusting, but needing each other to run the larger ship and get to port safely.

Or as safe as we were all going to be. Because Captain was right. Their ship couldn’t help but tell Freska everything. If I wasn’t sure there wasn’t an AI yet developed, despite all attempts over the years to create the independently-learning computer brains in robot bodies, I’d think it was the first of its kind. Almost before she finished it was spitting out information, sharing files, vids, and even the log history.

“I think we have it.” Deke stood behind two crew members who were feverishly working on the vid screens in front of them. He had his arm cradled against his chest but it wasn’t even wrapped.

“What?”

“There.” Deke stalked over to a vid screen on the wall and pressed his hand against it, turning it on. He tapped two buttons and the planet on the screen rotated until a large, sprawling cube expanded into millions of tiny cubes.

A city.

“This is our first destination.”

Captain’s hands clenched. “That’s Councilman Breck Mejer Frijul Major’s seat. Are you sure he’s part of the conspiracy?”

“You doubt me?” Freska asked.

“No, no.” Captain was quick to reassure her. I didn’t blame him. What she could do with technology….

“Deke said first,” I said. “How many are we actually up against?” I had the vision of half the Central cities and districts being in on it and against us, with all their planets and military resources allied against us with Brox.

“I sent him two. I’m sorry, Captain Querry.” Her aggressive, cocky tone was completely gone and in its place was a true sorrow.

Just two. That was good. Way better than I feared. But why was she sorry?

The crew member brought up the second location, and Deke stiffened at the same time Captain surged to his feet.

“No.” His objection was implacable, his refusal absolute. “There’s no way.”

“What? What is it?” I moved to stand beside him, but there was so much tension running through Captain’s body that I didn’t dare touch his clenched fists.

“We got roped into this business because one of the people asking was Captain Querry’s cousin.” Deke spoke slowly, watching Captain as he spoke. “He’s our contact in Intelligence. Freska’s ship has pinpointed multiple communications coming from his office and his residence.”

“You think she’s wrong?” I asked.

Silence fell over the entire room, like everyone held their breath.

Captain’s shoulders were rigid, and he looked at me. I tilted my head, trying to decipher what he was thinking and feeling. I couldn’t quite do it. But then his shoulders sagged, and his hands opened. I put my hand on his arm, then ran it down and squeezed his hand. He grabbed mine and didn’t let go.

“No. She’s not wrong. It would make sense. It’d have to be someone in Intelligence; they’ve sent us on too many easy missions where everything has gone exactly right. They knew all our moves, all Central Command’s moves. Working with Frijul, they’d have access to the ear of almost everyone who travels to planet. Almost all trade, all travel, goes through his district.” The grip on my hand was so tight, my knuckles were white.

I was strong enough to take it, and anything else he needed to support him. “What are we going to do?”

“That depends.” Captain took a deep breath. “Our guests were supposed to escort us back. If our counterattack remained undetected, we have the element of surprise. My contacts are ready; I reached back far, into our early days. Military escorts will rendezvous with us, in stealth mode, now that we know our targets. We’re going to hit them both, hard, and take down this conspiracy.”

Deke grinned. “I’m all for hard.”

Someone groaned, and Deke made a rude gesture. Kekillill scoffed. “Can you grow up? Captain Querry, I’m unsure of how you expect to be able to land at Intelligence when all air traffic is closed to that location except by express permission; your cousin won’t just allow you to land when he knows you or your soldier allies have figured out what’s going on when you don’t go to Frujil’s ‘port with the escort.”

“We will go to Frijul’s port with the escort. And to Intelligence. Two of the ships are matches to these vessels, and if Freska will agree to ask them to change their names and location pings, we can split the crew between the ships and strike in a coordinated attack.”

Kekillil stood, placing both hands behind her back. “I would be honored to lead one ship, sir.”

Deke snorted.

Captain shot him a look, and he subsided.

“This ship is mine by writ, and I cannot gainsay that without Command’s express permission in certain situations, and I have already given command of the other ship to Freska. She answers to her, and her alone. You will simply have to remain under my command a bit longer, I’m afraid.”

Kekillill nodded abruptly. “Yes, sir.” She sat.

“Once we get there, what happens?” That’s what I wanted to know.

“Then we take Elliard and Frijul into custody. We find any others involved in this little scam when the vermin scuttle from the light we’ll shine on filthy collaboration. And, with any luck, it’ll all be rooted out in just a few days.”

Even I knew that was highly unlikely, and a few weeks was probably be pushing our luck. Months if we weren’t lucky.

“Then we’re free? Brox has no hold on us? We can just disappear?” That sounded… amazing. I never thought I’d want to hide from the world, after being in that cell, but if Captain was there with me? I was in.

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Julie Lynn Hayes

 

Wednesday Briefs: Denied Chapter 40

“That was… Kohen, I….” Captain stumbled over his words as he stared at me.


“Felt good.” I nuzzled his thigh, then sighed. “But you have to go. And you want me to stay here, with the guards, where it’s safe.” I hated that. I wanted to be with him, now that I wasn’t afraid that my mind was going to be taken from me.


He cupped my head, running his hand over my skull and then running his thumb along my cheekbone. “Yes. I don’t know exactly what these people were planning, even if Lakshou did run his mouth with you. For someone who managed to disguise his intentions for so long, he got damn cocky. But I don’t know if that was just because of you, or if there’s more to this than we know. Until then, I would have you stay safe. Not because I don’t trust you, but because I don’t trust them.”


“I know. I’ll stay here. But when we get to the planets, you won’t be able to keep me locked away from everything.”


Captain echoed my earlier sigh. “I know. But hopefully we’ll have had some more information and more time to plan.”


It was actual hard to watch him walk away as I sat on the bed. Exhausted by the surges of adrenaline paired with the physical and emotional release, I dropped onto the bunk with a sigh. The bed was as soft as ever, and my eyelids had rapidly gained weights that dragged them down.


I stripped and crawled under the covers, burrowing into the softness and safety I’d only ever felt here.





A hand on my leg startled me awake, and I kicked out, then rolled away.


“Ow! Shit.”


“Deke. What are you doing in here?” I sat up.


“Waking you up. Captain Querry wanted me to get you.” Deke rubbed his wrist. “You have wicked aim. Your eyes weren’t even open.” He wriggled his fingers.


“Don’t touch me while I’m sleeping.”


“Noted. Are you going to get up? We don’t have a lot of time.”


“Wait outside.” Once I’d gained the right to privacy, I found I liked it. Needed it. There was only one person I could tolerate seeing me vulnerable, especially if I had the choice.


“Sure.” Deke shook his head, mumbling under his breath. Of course, I could hear him, but I chose to ignore his grumbles. He shouldn’t have touched me; now he knew better. I’d pulled the kick—mostly.


I really needed to go back to my quarters. I hated pulling on dirty clothing, so I didn’t. I grabbed some of Captain’s off-duty clothes, not caring who saw me in them. With the way gossip moved around the ship, most of the crew probably knew exactly what was going on between us anyway.


“What’s going on?” I asked as I followed Deke off the bridge crew quarter deck.


“Probably best to wait to ask questions until we’re somewhere more secure.” Deke looked grim now that he wasn’t whining. Crew members were everywhere. Deke and I both had to shift sideways to accommodate the bulk of two Scimniocs who were so busy bowing to each other, they’d blocked almost all of the corridor. We had to hop over their third leg which was propped out sideways.


At least I thought it was a leg.


Deke acted like it was all commonplace as he moved among the crew, not stopping as they acknowledged him or asked him questions, just firing responses back and keeping Kohen moving. They finally reached the bridge level. It was much quieter there, and the crew there all moved with silent purpose.


Until Deke got to a door. He put his palm on the scanner and waited while it did a full scan, which also meant DNA. Captain was inside with several of his crew, including Kekillill and a few others I hadn’t met in person.


“Got him, Querry.” Deke gestured for me to go in. “Now I have shit to do, including seeing Aparoe’s assistant for my wrist.”


“It’s fine.” I rolled my eyes.


“Thank you,” Captain said. The door slid shut behind me. “What happened to his wrist? Did something happen on the way to my quarters or the way back?” He stood. “Are you okay?”


I went right up to him, unable to stay away even though every crew member in the room was watching us and I should be discreet. “He touched me while I was sleeping. I kicked him. He’s fine, just being a big baby.”


Captain scowled. “He touched you?” His voice lowered dangerously.


“Just my leg. It startled me, and I was already kicking out before I realized it was him, so I couldn’t fully stop. I managed not to break his arm, but he’ll have a bruise. He’s fine.”


“As long as you’re okay.” Captain put his hand on my back and nudged me to the seat next to his. “We have new developments. And some plans to make.”


“What new developments?”


“The ship’s crew has proven… difficult. Most of them are either deliberately kept ignorant of those in charge or their loyalty is ensured in very specific ways. But we have Freska Derkat, and she has gotten their ship to sing. Access codes, communications, waypoints where the ship has docked, everything. It’ll take some time for the crew to sift through it all, but I trust that we’ll have an accurate picture soon of the true conspirators with the Brox Consortium.


“We’re going to take them down.” He looked around the table and then took a deep breath. “Then retire.”


“What?” Kekillill’s eyes widened. “But you just got command of this ship. This crew. You’re the best captain we’ve had.”


Captain shook his head. “This isn’t what I wanted. And I’m tired of dancing to politician’s schemes.”


“I’m with you,” a woman said. She was the one who’d first commed me on the vid. “Hopefully on our old ship.” 

"That's the plan." 

Want more flash?

Carol Pedroso

Nephy Hart

Julie Lynn Hayes

Wednesday Briefs: Denied Chapter 39

“What are you doing?” Captain finally looked down and seemed to realize that I was opening his uniform.

I tugged on the open edges of his jacket. “Come on.” I pulled him into the other room. The bunk was made—I had no idea when he found time to do that—but I was about to destroy the tightly tucked blankets. Gently, I pushed him down.

“Give us a minute,” I said to the crew member who looked up when the door started to whoosh shut. His eyebrows rose, but before he could say anything the door was closed.

“Kohen? Are you feeling okay? Do you need to lie down?” Captain was already standing. That was okay. I could work with that.

“I’m fine. Whatever Aparoe gave me worked.” My fingers were still clumsy, but I was going to do this, for me and for him. I pushed his uniform coat off and let it fall on the bedding. I pulled his duty shirt out of his pants, running my hand along the warm skin of his stomach, tracing the tight muscles. They jumped and quivered.

“Kohen,” he gasped.

“Shh, we don’t have long.” I undid the fastener and then pushed his pants over his lean hips to pool at his feet. His shirt I left on. The barely there touches to his stomach had some effect on him, but he was still only half-hard, even though it was clear then what I was going to do. “Please let me. I need this. I need to be close to you, to see and touch and feel you on me. To taste you in me.”

He gave in, just as he almost always did when it was something I needed. That had slowly dawned on me; I just had to convince him.

I pushed him down on the bunk. The pants around his ankles kept his legs from spreading apart, but I was skinny enough to barely fit between them. I liked the tight squeeze, the way it felt like his thighs were trapping me close to him. I nuzzled the warm fur of his testicles with my mouth and nose, tasting and touching and scenting him in all the best ways.

Long and slow was the best way to ease Captain into touching, but he was still skittish of the intimacy between us, and I didn’t have time for any of that. I traced circles on the wrinkled flesh with my tongue, then up the thickening length starting to protrude above his sac. I sucked on the loose tip of the flesh of his covering, then tickled the sensitive head and tiny slit peeking out.

Captain was quivering, gasping, one hand smothering his sounds while the other grabbed and held on to the edge of the bunk. I was right there with him, need sending a shiver up my spine. My hands were free, so I used one to bare my aching length and the other to reach up and play with the skin behind his sac.

“Fuck!” Captain cursed when I scraped it with my nail. His back bowed, his cock hit the back of my throat, and I swallowed him down farther. He shook and shuddered, his hand coming up to cup my head. “Yes?”

I didn’t know exactly what the question meant, but yes was an answer I would always give him. I nodded. Captain’s eyes hooded, and his nostrils flared.

His hand tightened on my scalp, and I regretted I didn’t have hair long enough for him to bury his hands in. But he didn’t seem to care. He watched me carefully at first as he pumped his hips, pulling back and then thrusting forward until he was tapping at the back of my throat and waiting there until I swallowed him down. Each time he waited until my throat convulsed around the head of his cock, and each time it did his gaze grew darker, hungrier, needier, until he started to speed up, to thrust harder, to demand the caress instead of waiting for it.

I had to squeeze the base of my shaft or I would have come all over the floor. I’d been taken many times, but never like this. Never been watched and held and caressed so carefully while at the same time allowing someone to take me the way they needed so much.

Because I could see it when he let go with a groan, just how much sheer fucking need for this Captain had and how much pleasure it gave him. How many had missed the signals before me? Would he have ever told me, if I hadn’t done this now, when he was distracted and vulnerable to my physical approach?

I didn’t care.

Because he wasn’t using me as he fucked my throat, he was giving us both so much pleasure I could hardly stand it. The dark flavor of the game gave it an edge, but I knew how to time my breaths, could gasp in air when I needed it, and I loved the feeling of him slipping into my throat.

His hips started to rock in smaller, tighter thrusts, not pulling back as far, and I knew that meant he was close. I loosened the hold on my cock and began to squeeze my fist up the shaft, teasing the head when I swallowed around his. We groaned in unison, mine a soundless vibration trapped by the swollen head of his cock lodged deep in my throat, and I couldn’t hold the need to come back another second.

I shot all over the floor beneath his feet just as his shaft swelled in my mouth and throat. I pulled back and caught the last few spurts on my tongue, because I had to have the salty bitter tang of him with me when he left to take care of the invaders on the ship.
Captain was part of me, forever. 

TBC
Want more flash?

Carol Pedroso

Michael Mandrake

Nephy Hart

Julie Lynn Hayes

Wednesday Briefs: Denied Chapter 38

Lack of gravity didn’t stop all of the intruders. There were spacers among the soldiers invading the ship, and some aliens just didn’t seem to be hampered by the lack of gravity at all. One rather thick alien just thinned out his hands and used the thin, flexible flaps to propel himself gracefully through the air.

I’m assuming it was a he, from the sheer bulk. Deke was going to be pissed if it turned out to be a woman, because the alien flipped gracefully around two of his guards and smacked them both together with those hands.

If they’d been thicker, or if the guards weren’t shielded, there might have been serious damage done.

“They tried to flank us?” Captain tapped the screen, and a second enlarged. “Just like you thought. Sneaky bastards. Good thing you’re a sneakier one, Deke.”

I couldn’t hear his response, but I’m sure it was a good one by the expression on Captain’s face and the way one of the younger crew actually choked. The man, probably ten years older than me, could not turn redder.

“Just bring them back down here and quit threatening to shove things up orifices where they don’t belong just because they tried to sneak in through the waste chutes.”

“Was that what they did?” Wow. A classic. So old it was positively ancient. “How in the hell did they think they’d get away with that?”

“No idea, but Deke isn’t happy about having to touch one of them that nearly escaped.”

I wrinkled my nose. I’d grown used to the sanitary facilities on the ship, and I couldn’t imagine going back to the old way where I’d been cleansed without ever really feeling anything against my skin, but at least I’d never experienced that sort of filth.

Not outside my missions where getting dirty was part of the plan to get the client where I needed them—or where Brox needed them.

The ship rocked, and I nearly fell off the couch. I grabbed the arm and held on. Captain slapped one hand against the wall and another against a button highlighted on the screen. “Freska Derkat, I thought you said you could handle their ship!”

“I can.” Her answer was low and tight. “Just, give me a minute, they’re using a metalloid coating on the ship’s main system. But it’s brittle; I just have to find… a crack… there! Found one. Hello, sweet thing, have you been lonely, locked away like that?” Freska Derkat’s voice began a purring croon, and it was almost disturbing how she spoke as if she expected the ship to actually answer.

“Thank you. Captain, the ship’s engines will power down on your command. Her weapons are already offline. She’s sealed the hull breach and isolated the crew that remained behind. Those on our ship are cut off from retreat.”

“Excellent. Convey my appreciation, and assure her that I shall allow you to take excellent care of her once we disengage.”

Freska Derkat squealed. “Yay!” The sound from her com cut off abruptly.

Wow, she was… something else. Amazing, but weird. And that was just as a voice over the vid, imagine if she’d been there in person. I wasn’t sure I’d like her energy. It was… disturbing. Something in her voice; maybe it had to do with the stuff in my brain?

That was something to worry about another time. Captain straightened and accepted the uniform jacket a crew member handed him. He quickly slipped it on and did up the fasteners, then activated the vid camera to project.

“Unauthorized invaders on my ship, your attempt to hijack my vessel has failed. Your ship has been sealed against you. Retreat is impossible. Your secondary flanking attack has been stopped. Continue resisting, and my crew is approved to use deadly force, as we have adequate numbers of prisoners to interrogation. Any act of aggression will be met with extreme prejudice. I will not allow you to harm the people on this ship—and the traitors you hoped would help you are already in the isolation chambers with null fields, so it is pointless to continue to attempt to take my ship or any of the people on it.” Captain’s voice dropped to a throaty snarl, his face a harsh mask of rage and icy determination. 

“You have been warned. Submit or die.”

He swiped a hand across the air by his waist and the feed was cut. Everyone scrambled about, getting reports and cross-checking with each other.

Captain put a hand on the button at his throat. He popped it open and sighed, his shoulders dropping. I carefully stood, clutching the couch. “C’mere,” I said.

“Are you okay?” Captain hurried around the table. “Did you get hurt when they fired on the ship?”

“I’m fine.” He was not. I could sense the bone deep exhaustion in him. “What’s wrong?”

“For many years I fought in wars I didn’t start and had no stake in finishing. I went where I was told and fought against those I was told were the enemy. I thought I’d left that behind; I thought I knew what I was doing was the right thing. And, I thought, one day I’d leave all this”—he waved his hand at the frantic crew—“behind me. Retire somewhere and have a normal life while I could still enjoy it.”

I’d never be normal. Not after what they’d done to me. Did that mean he’d never want me? Or was it a good thing he gave up on that dream now? I said nothing, since I didn’t know what to say. I unbuttoned the next button in his jacket.

“I want to take my real ship and just go.”

“Just us?” I raised my eyebrows.

“And my crew from before, who I really know and trust. Most of all, I just want to go somewhere no one gets beaten, shot at, or killed.”

Was there such a place in the entire universe?

TBC
Want more flash?

Carol Pedroso

Michael Mandrake

Julie Lynn Hayes