To Walk the Constellations Pt. 11

I could have claimed that I was off balance from the jet fight. I could have claimed that. But it was a lie. Even as I laid on my back, I thought of all the ways I could have countered his simple tactic. But instead, I hadn't. I had hesitated -- the same way he had hesitated when his electric presence had touched mine on the Victrix.

Thale looked down at me. The sword's holographic edge pressed right against my throat. A few millimeters further and the mono-molecular tip would slide smoothly into my throat, as if it were butter. It wouldn't do enough to kill me, or even hurt me that much, at first. But the instant I moved even a fraction of an inch, it would cut through flesh and bone as smoothly as if they weren't there. My nervous breathing would slice me to ribbons. I'd drown on my own blood.

Thale's eyes met mine. I looked up into his eyes.

I didn't beg.

I didn't say anything but...

"Thale."

His hand shook. The blade was still almost kissing my throat.

I could have, at that moment, cut his legs off. I could have severed his spine by remote controlling my blade. I could have done a lot.

Instead, I reached up. My fingers found the edge of his claws -- touching them. Then my fingers worked through his glove and I closed tight. Squeezed him. Thale's eyes brimmed with sudden tears. His blade drooped in his grip, pressing to the collar of my pilot's uniform. I caught my breath and Thale tensed -- and I whispered. "...do it..."

Thale's hand moved with the precision of a surgeon. I couldn't feel the tip of his sword. But I knew it was there -- it was a burning hot knowledge as his hand angled and tilted. Then he flicked it up and away, the blade hissing back into the hilt. Thale trembled as my thumb slid along his knuckles. The next time I breathed in, the motion of my body made the two halves of my uniform slip open, revealing my freckled breasts. My achingly hard nipples. My slick, wet sex.

The only sound in the air was the distant sound of gunfire. The rat tat tat of rifles. The screech of jets.

Thale's threshold blade thudded to the ground to the side of my hip. He shook his head. "No, no..." But even as he said no, he was kneeling down. His cape swept around me -- shrouding the world as he leaned his head forward. "No..." He breathed -- but his lips pressed to mine. Warm. Hot. Desperate. I reached up, my arms sliding free of my sliced uniform. My fingers caught his ear and I squeezed him to me, my teeth drawing blood on his lip as his tongue pressed to my mouth. I released his lip and sucked on his tongue with a wanton, eager moan.

When he drew back, his breath came ragged. His eyes met mine. His hands cupped my neck and he dragged me in for another kiss. I grabbed onto the shoulders of his armor and my naked legs wrapped around his thighs. Through the sleek, black cloth of his legging, I could feel his member, achingly eager. His tongue plundered my throat, thrusting between my lips and his purr thrummed through my body. When I could breathe again, when his lips drew away, I gasped and laughed and whispered. "Thale, Thale, Thale..."

His hand went to the collar of his uniform. I shivered and licked my lips. And then whispered: "C-Can you keep the cloak?"

"Yes," he crooned. His mouth caught my neck. His sharp canines pricked my skin and my back arched as I pressed my palms to his belly as Thale started to shuck off his top. But the cloak remained clasped around his throat, and it kept us in shadow. It made me feel as if we were alone in the universe, even as his leggings melted away and the thick length of his cock filled my desperately eager palm. I squeezed him and Thale let out a soft grunt. His eyes closed and his head ducked forward. He kissed the tiny pin-pricks that his teeth had left and I started to stroke his cock.

"This can't last," he whispered.

I shook my head.

"This can't," he hissed.

I kissed his forehead, cupping the back of his head with my free hand. Thale trembled. I felt his pre-cum splashing against my belly. It was...so warm. The vivid sense memory of feeling him emptying himself inside of me roared through my nerves. I moaned his name. "Oh Thale..." His cock pressed to the flatness of my belly and he started to grind against me, trying to find my entrance. I arched my back and spread my legs, feeling the rasp and crunch of the rough earth under me -- cushioned only slightly by what was left of my uniform. His cocktip pressed to my sex and Thale didn't wait. Didn't hesitate.

He slammed into me. His balls slapped against my ass and the sudden thrust tore a scream from me -- pure bliss. I threw my head back and locked my legs around his hips, gasping heavily. When I could see again, I could see Thale's face.

He looked so desperately fragile. His eyes were closed to slits and his ears were pinned back against his mop of black hair. Sweat beaded on his chin and he breathed in ragged, desperate pants. His chest rose and fell and his hands pressed to either side of my head as his cape rustled with the wind that breezed across the plateau. Ashy wind continued to blow around us, and I could see the tiny flecks of black nestling onto his hair, onto his shoulders like snow. I cupped his cheek with my free hand, my other hand touched to the flatness of his belly, touching his scar, rubbing it gently. I whispered.

"This is what Stumble smells like," I whispered.

"Like you?" He pressed his nose to my neck. He inhaled me. "I love you, Venn."

His hips began to slide back. Slide in. His balls slapped against my ass and my whole body felt as if it was rocking with the feel of him. I arched my back and clenched myself around him -- ankle and more. My fingers slid around the back of his neck as he licked me. The feeling of his tongue sent goosebumps roiling along my skin. I trembled all over and whispered. "I love you...I love you, Thale."

He thrust faster now. The sound of his balls slapped against my pussy. My eyes started to go unfocused.

"I...ah..." He shifted, rearing backwards. His hands grabbed onto my back, then lifted me. His strength alone nearly kindled my orgasm. Just...he was so much stronger than his slender body seemed like it would be -- and feeling him lifting me, then bucking his hips, then letting me fall back down onto his thick member. I threw my head back and cried out. A wordless sound of pure bliss as my legs remained locked around his hips. Thale's claws pricked my skin. I didn't care of he tore me to ribbons, just so long as he stayed in me. Thale snarled, his eyes meeting mine. "Come with me."

I, feeling utterly punch drunk, giggled. "A-About too!"

Thale actually smacked my rump. The feeling of his palm clapping against my skin, the five fold prick of his claws, all of it made my eyes go wide. I clung to him, then, throwing my arms around his back as he thrust up into me, bouncing me against his lap as he pressed his nose to my shoulder and grunted softly. His voice was warm against my skin as his hand cupped my ass, holding me tight. He squeezed me and he growled. "Join me with...I...with you, I...the Emperor can make me human again-"

My hands slid to his cheeks. "You are human, Thale," I whispered. My eyes met his and he froze. His mouth opened. Then it closed.

I leaned in and kissed him and Thale lost himself. He squeezed me and thrust once more into me -- and then slammed me back down onto the ground. I didn't care if it hurt. At that moment, all I could feel was the warmth of him, bursting inside of me. His cum, rushing into my sex, filling me. Overfilling me. My back arched and the feeling of his pleasure triggered mine -- as if I had been primed, prepped, and set off. My whole body quaked as white heat filled my eyes. I moaned out his name as he broke his kiss to growl in my ear.

"Venn!"

"Thale!"

And then...

Silence.

I gasped, heavily, trembling as my sex dripped with his seed. He remained inside of me -- growing soft in time with the beat of my heart -- of his heart. We were beating as one. My eyes fluttered open and I looked at his sweat slicked face.

"Thale..." I whispered. "Join the Alliance. We can...we can take the Hegemony down. We can do it. Together."

Thale looked down at me.

And for a moment, I saw hesitation in those eyes. My heart raced. My hand cupped his cheek. My thumb found his ear and I rubbed it, and felt his purr. It rumbled through my whole body -- but it stopped a moment later. As if he had drawn back. I felt my heart skip a beat. Thale shook his head and I whispered: "Thale, please. Don't..."

"I...I have a future. With you. We. Together." He looked at me. "Just come with me..."

For a tingling moment...I thought about it.

A hazy image flitted through my mind. A half-dream of being with Thale. Of him in his sharp uniform, standing in a palace garden on Eudaimonia, looking out at the vast planet-covering city. I could be in a dress cut for my form, one that'd make me actually look like a woman. We'd walk, hand in hand, and...and then they'd take away his ears and his tail and his purring to make him fit with what the Hegemony said a person was. Because they could look at Thale and turn away in disgust. They could chain him behind masks and behind gloves. And I'd dance in his arms as a thousand worlds burned.

My fingers caught his hand. He was still wearing his glove. My voice was soft. "You never fixed it..." I murmured, feeling the dead circuitry and wires in it. The glove wouldn't hurt his hand ever again.

Thale shook his head, slowly.

I closed my eyes.

We both knew what was to happen.

We both reached for our blades at the same moment.

My sword shot towards me, firing its hilt based rocket. But Thale's was closer. He lifted it and pressed it to my throat and I felt the needle plunging into my neck. His head ducked forward as I felt blackness falling down around me. And as it fell, so came the rain -- and the choked, ragged sob.

***

The hoverskiff was visible a few minutes before it arrived. Techne watched it under her shaded palm, whistling softly as she counted the seconds. The fields surrounding her were fast and flat and smelled strongly of salt. Smoke rose from the death pyres of dozens of crashed fighters -- some having impacted on the ground straight on, others leaving behind ragged scars as they dragged across the ground. All in all, Techne felt rather lucky that she had hit the ground so gently.

The skiff came to a stop near her, the pilot slowing and stopping. He was a young looking Alliance driver -- he still had pimples. Or, at least, his type of humanity's kind of pimples. "That was some fucking flying!" he said -- then blinked as Techne stood, stretching her arms behind her. She had shucked off her pilot garb and was dressed only in her tank top and short shorts. This meant that her chrome body was eminently on display. Her lips skinned back in a playful grin as the driver gaped at her.

"Willing to drive little old me back to base?" she asked.

"Y-es!" he said, his voice squeaking. Techne scrambled into the back of the skiff with a laugh.

The trip back gave her time enough to admire the bulk of the Victrix and the large, snaking trail of Hegemonic sailors and troops, marching in a ragged line towards the Alliance base. They were flanked by skiffs like this one, but with claive guns mounted on the back and covering them. The shocktroops had been disarmed, but like any good marine force, the weapons they carried were only a quarter of what made them so fucking scary.

Arriving back at the base, Techne felt a sigh of relief escape her. She might have handled the sun considerably better than humans could -- but she still could overheat. Stepping off the skiff, she blew a kiss to the diver, then started to look around. Seeing the number of Alliance pilots who weren't coming back made her wince.

Then...

"Venn?" she called out.

Her brow furrowed.

Confusion became concern. Concern became terror. And when she finally came to General Meetra's command center, Techne was able to forget her reflexive dislike of the Butcher of Malachite. She grabbed onto their shoulder and Meetra turned to face her. "Where the fuck is Venn!?" Techne snapped.

Meetra frowned, then looked at the CIC staff. "Where is Silver-5."

The woman they pinned with their gaze gaped at her, then coughed and started to tap a few buttons. She frowned. "Uh, General, it says here that she was shot down thirty minutes ago."

"What!?" Meetra shouted.

"That's fucking impossible," Techne said, stalking over to the console. She punched at several of the controls over the other woman's shoulder, causing the CIC officer to scowl at her -- but then the flight telemetry popped up. And they watched in silence as the sensor readings showed, clearly, what happened: Venn's craft was shot down by that bastard of a contragravity fighter. Techne scowled -- and then saw the contragravity fighter land. The radar here stopped telling any concrete story -- but the IR and telescopes showed...

"What are they doing?" The CIC woman muttered.

"Oh...my..." Meetra whispered. "Is he..."

Techne put her hands over her face. "Goddamn it, Venn!"

"He's assaulting her!" Meetra exclaimed.

"No. No, he's not," Techne said, sliding her hand off her face. "The two of them are both Liminal Knights. They've been...connected. In like, a...mental way for ages now."

"And you didn't tell me?" Meetra asked.

"I didn't think it'd matter!" Techne snapped. "It's Venn's love life."

"It's Venn...I..." Meetra scowled at Techne. "That's our only Liminal Knight! Our only one. And you thought it wasn't worth mentioning that she's fucking Lord Drak Thale? One of the most powerful of their sub-lords!?"

Techne flushed.

"You need to trust me eventually, Techne," Meetra said, shaking their head as they turned back to the CIC table. "That's why the stealth corvette broke off. Can the fast pass fleet catch up to them?"

"No," the astrogation officer said, once he was asked the question up front. "We're not even sure where the stealth corvette is. It's a stealth corvette. Though, if there are three people inside -- the pilot, Lord Drak, and Lady Venn, it's going to be, uh, cramped." He chuckled.

The glare Meetra sent Techne's way was acid.

Techne chewed her lower lip. "The Tiamat can hunt them," she said, nodding.

"Hunt a Liminal Knight without one?" Meetra asked. "And besides, they're stealthed, and they can take advantage of every Hegemony remassing station and reicing platform. If they send the message ahead, they'll be at Eudaimonia in less than three months. Faster, if they have a spindrive."

"That's unlikely," the astrogator said. "No one can put a spindrive on a ship that small. In fact, if they weren't acting as if they had a chance out in the big empty, I'd argue that you can't put a jackdrive on a ship that small."

A laugh broke into their conversation. Techne's brow furrowed as the laugh -- a cheerful, giggly laugh -- continued. Slowly, she turned and Meetra turned with her. A robed figure stood in the doorway -- and the guards that were standing at attention jerked as if they had been struck. As if they hadn't noticed that she was there. The guards with helmet optics. Techne's eyes widened and she grabbed at her hip, reaching for her sidearm. Meetra pulled her weapon as well -- but both of their weapons sparked and fizzled, their batteries overloading with an acrid stench. The robed figure waved their hand dismissively -- and it was midnight black.

"Come on, lets not have that," they said.

"Who the fuck are you?" Meetra asked, snarling.

Techne's eyes widened. A sudden, insane hope exploded inside of her.

A Liminal Knight -- of some power -- emerging from the darkness at the hour of the Alliance's most intense need. Could it be...was it possible it was...could...

The Liminal Knight reached up, then tossed their hood backwards, revealing a youthful female face. She was round cheeked, with a narrow nose and narrow lips that looked like they smiled a lot. The smiling, in fact, was what pushed her from being somewhat average (at least, in Techne's eyes) to being actually pretty. Her hair, though, was what shocked Techne. It was incredibly long, and it had been tied into a quartet of ponytails. There was no way it could have fit inside of her hood...and yet, as if her hair had coiled itself up and hidden, it had.

"Who the fuck are you?" Meetra asked.

"The name is Enriquah," the girl said, then bowed low. "Hegemonic Knight. At least, uh, until they decided to kill me because I failed them." She stood up, then winced. "Ow. Sorry, I recently regrew my spine using nothing but my threshold blade as a makeshift medinano and some of the joins did not work right."

Meetra looked at Techne. Techne looked at Meetra.

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Techne asked -- her throat simulating dryness. She wanted to gulp. She didn't. This Hegemonic Knight could snuff her out in a heartbeat. Enriquah walked past her, slapping her shoulder, then casually sat down on the edge of the holographic table, causing the emitter to buzz and emit holographic slurry. The CIC crew gaped at her -- looking as terrified as Techne felt.

"Well," Enriquah said, tapping her chin. "I was...what's the word...oh! Right!" She smiled. "Defecting! That was it!"

Dead silence.

Enriquah grinned. Then, biting her lip, she added. "Okay, not buying that? Fine. I just want to poke at the Quantum Forge and you have it now, sooo..."

TO BE CONTINUED