Upon a Savage Shore Ch. 08

Liam shook his head and let his anger drain away. Even if they were influencing him intentionally he needed them and they needed him. Survival was the top priority and interpersonal relations could take a back seat or a flying leap. There was work to be done. He set his mind to the details of how to get from where they were now to where they wanted to be. And Liam was very good at that sort of thing.

+>0<+

Commander M'pel E'kmel raised her arms gracefully above her head. She was going through an ancient routine of stretching and muscle contortion to work the kinks out of her joints. It had been several days since the last time she had performed this exercise and it felt more than good to feel the free motion of her limbs and body moving to their inner music once more. Her knee pained her terribly at times, but these stretches were doing wonders for her bruised and battered muscles. The pull she'd suffered in her back ached with a deep burn as she folded smoothly forward. When her palms lay flat upon the worn bark of the dead tree, though, there came a cool sensation and her pains eased.

She was getting back to herself. That was a very good thing. Here on this remote world, away from all the technology and artificial environments critical to military operations, she was returning to nature. Her ancestors had hunted in forests much like this one, bringing down game with spears and arrows. She felt more strongly connected to them now than she had felt since her last hunting trip with her aunt many years ago. Life coursed through her body and spirit the way it was meant to in a jZav'Etch and...

"What is that scent?" she wondered aloud. Straightening from her pose she gingerly stepped nearer the upper entrance and sniffed. "Ah. I see. Young ones, enjoy it while you may. A long road is ahead."

She smiled and returned to her spot, taking a new stance and leaning cautiously into her next stretch. She found her tail twitching and it became difficult for her to push the world away. Her senses of smell and hearing had been focused on the night to guard her against the approach of danger, but now they were overcome by the two lovers below. Her concentration for the exercise was broken and she sighed, straightening again. There was little point in continuing. She would start from the beginning after the young ones fell asleep.

M'pel E'kmel found the comfortable place at the corner of the opening and settled down, enjoying the evening air. She smiled at the sounds of wild things and the smell of the forest. And then she smiled more broadly as a cry of pleasure came to her from within the hollow tree. Well she remembered Clot'ilda's talents and part of her envied Tem'Ma'tel this evening. It was a good thing to be young and have young friends.

"Of course," she murmured, glancing down into the darkness. "It's not bad to be old and have young friends."

She relaxed, her eyes scanning the night and wondered what Sergeant Carter would make of the pair below. He surely was getting as much scent as she was. Though there was a light current of air rising to carry the delicate smells up to her, she knew that the scent was a heavy one and much of it would travel down.

"He's probably blushing and squirming by now," she chuckled and imagined him practically wriggling with discomfort. "So much like an adolescent."

And she felt the sergeant really was. In spite of his massive physique and obvious prowess in battle, Sergeant Carter had never anticipated what he was now going through. In some ways she felt sorry for him and would have had pity on the poor man, but he was so much fun to tease. He reacted so well to the slightest hint or innuendo, she just could not resist.

"Do Human females never tease their mates?" she wondered. A moan from Tem'Ma'tel seemed to come in answer to her. "Perhaps they do not do it properly. Poor Sergeant Carter. You've missed out on all the fun."

At least up till now he had, she thought. He was too good to waste. She decided she would make a real effort to charm him and make his days enjoyable. It would be her pleasure to seduce him and should he demand Ka' chasck, she would accept, but she hoped he would not. She wanted to offer Chaq' Ka' shisk and become a proper Second in his household. She did not desire to be First in any household ever again. It was too much responsibility.

"Of course there will be no children with him, will there," she murmured and frowned. It was too bad. Sergeant Carter would be a very good father. She knew he would not kill any of the babes born to him, no matter how weak they might be. There would never be tears of regret for his mates who bore such into the world. Though she had to admit her first mate had shed his own tears when their third child proved too feeble to thrive. He had been gentle in the taking of that life and had stayed away for three entire days, morning the girl who had never had a name. They had mated in their grief upon his return and their fourth child had come into the world squalling and vigorous. A happy child and a happy young female, now with young of her own and a very good mate.

A powerful wash of scent billowed from within the hollow tree and Tem'Ma'tel cried out, her purr rolling over M'pel E'kmel's ears, driving away the solemn mood that had come upon her.

"Oh, Clot'ilda, you are one to carry us forward," she said, pleased she had selected the Pah'Tht from among all the potential candidates for this mission. Even more pleased that Clot'ilda had survived the crash. There had been two others in the crew that might have done as well as the Pah'Tht, but Clot'ilda was the best of the lot.

Of course the whole plan had been a serious gamble. They might all have been killed. No one had anticipated the size of the fighter force escorting the CP transports. The plan had nearly gone completely awry. It was only Sergeant Carter who had made it to this world and thank the Forger and Builder he was such an open minded and resourceful Human. What if he had been female? That might have spelled disaster. And what if Captain Am'a'all had killed him? Disaster again. Naturally, this was not the only mission of its kind. One did not put all the bait on a single hook, after all.

"How will Liam feel when he learns the truth?" she wondered. "Betrayed? Likely. Yes, he will feel betrayed. I should tell him. I really should. But the young ones do not know what we really came here for. And we may not be rescued for years."

So much depended on this mission. She and the other commanders sent out in this manner had to prove Admiral Aka'Tem'al was right. It was their best chance to end the war quickly and bring Humans and their allies onto the side of the jZav'Etch. It was in everyone's best interest. And was it not true that two warriors who fought to a standstill often became closer than brothers? The Humans had demonstrated their capacity to do so at the end of their war with the Vespans. The jZav'Etch did not have two decades to squander. The threat was far too great.

"If I tell Liam," she murmured in thought. "The experiment will be invalid."

And so it would be. He had to prove his ability to not only live with but join in mutual support with the jZav'Etch females. If he knew of the experiment he might throw it all away out of anger or spite or just as bad, cooperate only to gain the desired result. Such was unacceptable. She must keep her secret.

"I am so sorry, Sergeant," she said and cast a remorseful look down through the darkness to where the male she was so fond of paced.

+++++

Author's Note: If you are about to post a comment indicating dissatisfaction with the length of this chapter, please don't. It will not in any way affect the story or how I write it. My story. My choices. Chapter length is dictated by the events in the story. For additional insight on my opinion on this subject, please go to my profile and read the points I make regarding comments, reviews and writing.