Among Bright Stars... (19 page)

Nadia giggled, which broke the tension
between Sharr and Talik. She took the moment to change the topic.
“As I remember Shali, you weren’t too pleased when Sharr and I
brought Tansuri home.” The Queen reminisced. “I recall you stormed
off, blasted Sharr for thinking with his hormones, not his
brain.”

“Typical Sharr, stumble on a beautiful
street mouse, then bring her home.” Shalimar mused and sounded
nostalgic. “I don’t believe it exactly was his hormones I accused
him of thinking with.” An amorous lilt to her voice, Shalimar
batted her long eyelashes in Sharr's direction. “Other parts of his
anatomy were doing the thinking for him.”

“Father,” Ariel spoke up. “Nani sent a
message today. She says more sacred cattle have turned up
mutilated. It troubles her people. She worries we’ll be blamed for
it.” They were in truth already being accused.

“It’s been two and half years.” Sharr did
not hide his displeasure. “Whoever is committing these crimes,
they’re becoming more flagrant. Making it seem as if we Falcanians
have been killing holy cattle.” He brought up, almost reluctant.
“So Falcanian technology gets the blame.“

“What?” Talik paled.

Nadia noticed the apprehension on Oberon’s
face, yet she did not know what to make of it. Clearly the cattle
mutilations distressed the Jagirdar, though hardly a Hindu
himself.

Sharr cleared his throat, and noted the
glares he got from Aria, Nadia and Shalimar, who did not approve of
the dinner conversation.
At least they agreed on something,
Sharr thought bemused. “Reports tell me the killings are done with
precision, and leave not much in their wake but that of empty cow
skin and bones. There have been whispers, sightings of a creature.
A dragon they say, which consumes the cattle, ‘Naga of iron’ they
call it.” He exhaled. “Cults have even sprung up to worship it, in
hopes that they will appease its voracious hunger.” From his tone,
Sharr sounded skeptical. “There have even been strange sightings, a
sea creature in the Bay of Bengal. Given our island sits right at
its center. Our technology they say, displeases the gods.”

“Silly superstition.” Talik laughed, and hid
his worry behind a goblet.

After a dessert of rice pudding, Sharr
retired to his chair which sat at the center of the family room
with couches all around for his wives, concubines and assorted
children to recline in comfort upon. Arshira sat transfixed on
Sharr, and watched him hold his goblet of honey wine while Talik
and Sharr carried on talk of current events. “You did it my brother
brought The Eagle to bow before your claws. You’re actions have
been unexpectedly bold. This is a great boon.”

“Things go as planned.” Sharr Khan concurred
confidingly. “Once there’s an established treaty, this Khanate will
at last be able to not live in fear of our enemies, or those who
seek out our secrets.” JR Giovanni, Sharr Khan thought pleased,
could do business with this newly humbled Imperator. “There will be
peace.” He added. “Not a peace based on weakness, but a peace
wrought on the forge of strength.”

“By means of a fierce, honed blade.” Talik
reminded.

“Indeed,” the Shotar admitted. “Arshira, I
am proud of you.”

“Huh?” Arshira, her emerald eyes refocused
at the sound of Sharr’s voice. In her mind’s eye she kept replaying
her vision of Sharr’s goblet, as it would fall and bounce on the
floor. Waited for it to do just that in this moment, yet the vision
never took place. “Oh danke,” she forced a smile. “Couldn’t have
done it without good old Oswald.”

“Don’t you have a warmer greeting for your
Rakja?” The Skatha commander reached out to touch his wife, only to
have her flinch backward at his contact. She pushed his hand aside,
and then turned her violet eyes away from him. Sitara sat opposite
her mate in their private apartments. Plates of food waited
untouched on the low table before them.

“Why should I, war is your only love.”
Defied the Princess.

“Ha, Ha, Ha!” Kulcarin laughed, genuinely
amused at the remark. “Winning great battles for your father is my
duty.” He licked his lips. “Yes, I find pleasure in taking blood.
Aren’t you a Falcanian my dear? To hunt is our way, to rule lesser
beasts then ourselves is our destiny.” The black carapace he wore
throbbed with his power.

Inside Sitara recoiled. Arshira had remarked
to her at how much Kulcarin enjoyed his work of late. After all
these months she could see it in him, could feel it on him. The
blood of war now became all that he understood. He had shed the
last bits of that noble young man who had courted her, protected
her, and who she fell in love with. To replace it with...
Darkness.

“What I desire now are our loins together,
me inside you!” Kulcarin told her, not even a hint of a romantic
inclination to be heard in his words, just animal lust. Looking on
Sitara, his thirst clear and carnal.

The remark did not endear Kulcarin to
Sitara. “We can later...” Sitara felt reluctance to be close to her
mate. The very thought of him touching her, suddenly disgusted her.
“Just, let’s eat now. Or go see my parents I – ”

“No!” Aranskrai pulled Sitara from her
cushions onto his lap.

“Let go!” Sitara growled, and tried to rip
at him with her long nails, she found only repulsion in the cold
hard feel of the Skatha Lord's black bioarmor.

In the years since his return from the
Primus Sector Aranskrai had grown larger, more muscular. His
already enhanced Falcanian biology had tripled in strength thanks
to Kranix. The creature which had intertwined with his very
physiology altered it to fit its own needs. Whatever he had begun
to become, even Kulcarin did not fully comprehend, but the Skatha
understood that it held untapped power. Aranskrai, in a swift
motion ripped off Sitara’s choli, pressed on her big exposed tits,
elicited the reaction he craved. Crying, Sitara did her best to
fight him off, but he overwhelmed her. “No precious, you will not
rebuke me again.” He told her in a voice not his own.

“Please Kulcarin... Please let me go!”
Sitara couldn’t fathom the idea that her mate might rape her, there
had to be some way to get him to be rational. But what?

In response, Aranskrai, with a bone-blade
hidden in his armor cut the last string which held Sitara’s lehnga,
left her completely naked. Kulcarin hauled his Princess wife to
their nest, and from his armor produced a strand, a near
unbreakable organic thread, which bound Sitara’s arms and Garuda
with, to force her tail upward and fully immobilize her. Kulcarin
pushed Sitara’s face down on the many pillows, where he made Sitara
expose her genitalia for his use.

At that moment Krürashi, Sitara's
Morningstar cat stalked into the room. Seeing its mistress in
distress, the great cat hissed and snarled. Kulcarin glared at the
beast, in a howl not of his own, an inhuman roar, that of the
creature inside him, warned the animal away. A blast from his
bioarmor caused the feline to finally skulk away. Close, just
behind Sitara's oval ear Kulcarin whispered: “You are mine.” He
touched near her womb. “Ah yess,” he said to himself. “Yess good,
you are ripe, ready for my seed.” Though Kulcarin spoke, it was
Kranix’s desire to procreate which drove Lord Aranskrai.
Importantly however Kulcarin’s actions were not because of an
unencumbered free will. All Kranix need do was to unhinge
Kulcarin’s natural inclinations. What would the Falcanian’s slowly
changing DNA produce? The creature knew its own Mother had
fashioned him perfect, surely then its offspring would also be
perfect?

Powerless, Sitara struggled, sobbed against
the rough assault as Kulcarin penetrated her; each thrust harder
and harder. He had been correct, she was ripe to become pregnant,
and now she could not shutdown the process, given her fertility had
reached its apex. Thrusting with more power, driven by the cries
and wails of his wife Kulcarin reached his orgasm.

The deed complete, Kulcarin pulled out,
stood over her, for a moment his face betrayed a flicker of his old
self – Yet at the last, the creature reasserted itself. “I am going
to the
Batjros
; there are things I must attend to for my
Skatha. We will talk again soon.”

Shame, all she felt was disgrace. Sitara
collapsed into a delirium:
Near a fountain, in the gardens.
Kulcarin at her side – He was young, and strong. A noble young mane
in training to become a Drakorian Guard. Beside him, their friend,
Sitara’s ardent pursuer Urksa Vorskrai. In her sharpened
recollection of the past event Sitara witnessed Vorskrai as a
bright and smiling boy, always eager to please her. Awkwardly he
handed her a flower. The Princess responded by pushing the young
Guilthari Lord into the nearby fountain.

Hours later, Sitara awoke to discover that
she had been unbound, yet sore from the assault on her person.
Uncontrollably she cried, ashamed, until finally, Kulcarin’s scent
overpowered her, and then she showered, while she wept more, in a
crouch, while water fell over her naked abused body. How could she
ever face anyone again? But she knew, she must not bring strife
now. Things were precarious, this could become scandal, which would
rip the Imperial Court apart. Sitara would deal with Kulcarin on
her own terms.

[New Haven Connecticut June 9, 2001]

In the direction of the security door, she
enthusiastically guided the Phoenix Project leader, hand gripped
firmly onto his. The exotic girl glanced over her shoulder, grinned
and tugged more intently for him to follow her. An observable
brightness could be seen in her kajal accented blue-eyes. It wasn't
that they exactly glowed, yet the Phoenix Project leader couldn't
help but think that Nadia's eyes maintained an almost neon
iridescent quality, as if photon particles flashed her retinas. At
once startling, yet also a pleasure to see.

“
Is that you Nadezhda?” Called out a
good-natured male voice, a burly accent, one that had been picked
up by having a diverse heritage, yet could be considered distinctly
European.

“
It is Isä.” Answered the exotic young
woman in Finnish.

“
Are they here girl?”

“
Right here Sir.”

From behind equipment, what Roderik would
later come to learn was an artificial womb, highlighted by black
light, Dr. Turhan Korelia appeared with a big grin on his bearded
face. Longish gray hair untamed around his Anglo-Persian features.
First impression: Turhan would be the sort of fellow who as a basic
rule thought outside the box. Also Dr. Korelia enjoyed life. Under
his lab coat, Dr. Korelia wore a shiny Nehru vest, brilliant blue,
the color of his daughter's eyes. The engineer nodded. “You’re the
one who calls himself Sharr?”

“
I am.” Roderik answered.

“
Dr. Turhan Korelia, very pleased to meet
you face to face after our correspondence online. Though truth be
told, Nadia handled most of that.” The engineer said warmly. “Allow
me to introduce Dr. Ambika Sen. The love of my life.”

Generations of upper class Indian ancestry
manifested itself in Dr. Ambika Sen's posture. Large almond eyes
which sucked you into them, glanced over the newly arrived Phoenix
Project members. A small nose completed Ambika’s oval face, it
would have been cute, had it not been for the intensity that
emanated from her eyes, which bore down into your very core. Not
someone to mess with Sharr surmised.

Jarred, Vance’s head shot to the side,
looked hard over at Nadia, who had taken up a possessive stance
beside Roderik. There was something intangible to her. A vague
impression that she felt his inner thoughts occurred to Turner, yet
he couldn’t be sure.

“
What do you see there Oberon?”

“
Clearly, she desires him.” So very plain
to anyone with eyes. Though it didn't seem Roderik took notice.
“It’s clear in the way she lingers close. Do they know what Nadia
is?” Oberon could hardly believe that was his own half-brother down
there. Why did he behave so unsure of himself?

“
My son, most of the males in this
building want a chance to be with young Doktor Korelia. Nadia is a
very special girl. An Eve of a new race. No, I don't think these
Phoenix Project people are aware of her true nature yet. Though
doubtless they will be soon enough. Particularly if affection
blooms between your brother and Nadia.” Uric Kreis stated while he
watched events on the flat screen video feed at his desk. Oberon
stood behind him and glanced at the screen over the back of his
father’s large plush leather chair. Uric's fist rested on the heavy
chair's armrest. Many thick rings adorned each one of those fingers
all tied into building controls and a telepathic dampener as well.
“You want her for yourself.”

“
Nadia can’t stand me sir.”

Uric laughed at the none-response from his
son. Oh he wanted Nadia Korelia. Not that the strapping young
German hadn’t the pick of women. “She is resistant to your charms
then?”

“
In the extreme.” Oberon
admitted.

The heavily ringed fingers pressed a button
to switch the video over to a feed from a few days before. On the
screen appeared a dark-haired young woman, dressed in a business
skirt. She leaned down to pick-up papers on the floor which she
dropped near Genetic Konnections Inc. entryway.

“
Who is she?” Oberon’s blond brow
rose.

“
An outside vendor.” The elder Kreis
informed as he steepled his many ringed fingers. “More important,
she is your brother’s weakness.” There could be heard a subtle,
self-satisfied laugh. An idea, which he believed to be quite
magnificent occurred to Uric Kreis. “Keep your eyes on her Oberon.
This girl could prove of use to us.”

“
I shall do as you ask.”