Colonial Commander (9 page)

Chapter 15

She was right, he had claimed her without asking first, but he didn’t regret doing it. AshOR wanted her for his own, and all other thoughts were lost to his deep need to keep her with him always. He had always made fun of other males who allowed their honor to be overridden and claimed their mates so quickly. Now he understood what drove them to do it. He wanted to pull Ava back to the trees and take her again and again. He would keep making her find her release until she agreed to be his, even if that meant he made love to her until it was morning. Unfortunately, there was no time for that right now.

He watched his brother approach him with a frown on his face. “What is wrong?”

“I spoke with Leader Toro. There are reports of a Morin shuttle and several warships, which were hit in the initial battle and went down near the mountains. At first it was believed they were destroyed, but movement has been spotted and heat signatures showed for a few minutes.”

Kitana!

“What does that mean?” Ava asked, coming up to stand next to AshOR.

AshOR growled when the other males stepped in close enough to take in her scent. He didn’t give a crap what they thought, but he didn’t want Ava embarrassed.

TylOR looked down at her. “There are Morins on this planet.”

Ava shivered, and AshOR couldn’t stop himself from taking her into his arms. She had never faced a Morin up close; she’d only seen the destruction they left behind. She was gentle, caring with those who were injured, but strong enough to do what needed to be done. He wanted to protect her from the ugliness of what the Morins truly were.

“I’ll take a few of my fighters out and search for the shuttle. We have a heat signature to go by, so that will help.” AshOR felt his mate stiffen in his arms.

“I know this has to be done, but I wish it didn’t have to be you,” she admitted softly.

He looked down into her worried face. She cared about him that was easy to see. It also made it harder for him to leave her. His heart beat for her and her alone. “Excuse us for a moment.” He didn’t look at the other males, but waited until they gave them some space. Then he took her face in his hands.

“I have a job to do.”

She closed her eyes, and he saw a single tear trail down her cheek. He used his thumb to wipe it away. “I know.”

“You should also know that I would do everything I can to come back to you. I finally have a mate, and I am going to keep her safe.”

She opened her eyes and looked at him with longing. No female had ever looked more beautiful to him.
Thank you, Goddess, for giving me such a gift.

“I want you to go back up to the transport where you will be safer,” AshOR told her, but she was already shaking her head at him.

“No, I’m staying right here to help the medics.”

“Ava…”

“I have a job to do as well. I’ll stay here and help treat the injured and clean up the debris. You go get those bastards, but make sure you come back to me in one piece.”

“Stay safe, mate.”

He leaned down and kissed her gently, but she wanted a deeper, harder kiss. He couldn’t help but give her what she wanted. She was everything to him. He let her go and watched as she went back to the medic tents. Ava was his mate, and it pleased him that she didn’t deny it when he said it.

“Ready to discuss strategy now?” TylOR asked coming up behind him.

“Yes.”

*****

Ava felt her heart racing as she watched AshOR’s warship leave the ground and take off into the sky. Damn him for becoming so vitally important to her. She glanced over at TylOR when he came to stand next to her.

“He’ll be fine. He’s one of the best warriors we have,” TylOR reassured her.

She smiled. “Are you just saying that because he’s your brother?”

“No. I wouldn’t have allowed him to lead the search if I thought he wasn’t the best. The Morins are vicious and cruel. A weak leader would not be able to overcome them. Plus, because he’s my brother I wouldn’t send him in a situation I didn’t think he could handle.”

She nodded. The two men might have been raised apart and fight all the time, but they loved each other and they were family. She wanted to be a part of that family, too. Truthfully, she already was, since AshOR had mated her.

“There’s something you should know.”

“AshOR mated you. I know. He should have done that before, but at least he is finally acting as he should. Elizabeth is going to be thrilled to have you as a sister. I know that I am.”

She felt heat in her cheeks. “Thanks. I just hope he comes back so I can yell at him for claiming first and asking later.”

TylOR chuckled. “As you humans say, you can give him hell.”

She smiled. “Oh I will.” As long as he came back.

*****

AshOR had been gone about an hour when they came upon the first downed ship. It was a two-person warship and the pilot had clearly died on impact. Morins never traveled alone, so there had to be another warship somewhere close by.

“Commander, I have a heat signature two miles to the north. It’s flickering in and out.”

“Let’s get them.” AshOR went on foot with two of his lieutenants while two other lieutenants stayed in their warships, to look for the Morins from above.

This was kind of like being back on the Colonial planet and hunting in the jungles. His heart was pumping and his senses were on full alert. Hunting was the one thing that his father had taken the time to do with him. He was just a young boy when he begged his father to take him on his first hunt. He hadn’t been prepared for all the blood and violence. His father was not about to coddle him, though. He was very firm and unbending.

“You kill something, you must be prepared for the ugly consequences.”
It was his father’s favorite saying. He had a love-hate relationship with the male, and the day he died was the one and only time his father had told him that he was glad to have AshOR as a son.

He shook off thoughts of his father and concentrated on the prey he was now hunting. He knelt down and looked at the crumbled leaves. There on the corner was a spot of yellow goo. He leaned down and took a whiff. “Morin blood.” He hit his comm link. “I’ve got a blood trail. Lieutenants RoRI and LomAN, fly toward the mountains. I want this guy to think that we are leaving the area.”

He watched as the warships above flew past, heading away from his location. He moved quietly forward, trying not to let any twigs or leaves crunch under his boots.

One of his lieutenants waved and pointed to the left. He must have spotted something. AshOR sniffed the air; there was a stronger hint of foul blood from that direction. They were in the best position possible at the moment, downwind of the enemy, so he signaled his lieutenants to halt before creeping forward by himself.

AshOR moved slowly, pausing only when he found more evidence of Morin blood. It was a huge amount this time. The Morin wouldn’t live much longer. He had to get to him quickly if he wanted to get some answers from him. Time was imperative.

He heard a rasping, gurgling sound, like some wounded creature struggling to breath. Tracks on the ground showed that the creature had fallen and couldn’t get back up, so it was dragging itself through the jungle. AshOR picked up speed. There, to the right, the Morin was sitting up against a tree trunk. He approached the prone body and kicked the male’s boot.

The Morin struggled to lift his arm with the weapon in it, but AshOR easily kicked it out of his hand. He hit his comm link. “Found the stray.”

“Katieran, you will die.” The Morin didn’t even open his eyes as he made the threat.

“I’m not Katieran, and you’re the one dying. Your comrades left you here to die alone. How does that make you feel?”

“Back off, scum!”

AshOR kept some distance between them. “Your people killed off most of our females and infected us with mutations. Now you think you have the right to destroy other nations and take their females?”

“Why shouldn’t we have females? We are dying and need them to keep our race alive.”

“You did that to yourselves. Your people were so intent on infecting mine with your virus you ended up subjecting yourselves to a disease with no cure.”

“It pleases you to know that none of my kind will survive this, doesn’t it?”

“It is justice.”

The Morin shut his eyes. AshOR thought he had stopped breathing. He kicked his leg again to wake him. “Don’t die yet, I have some questions for you.”

“I have no answers.”

AshOR kneeled down. “Death is too good for you and your kind.”

“You know nothing of my kind. We were once a proud and strong people.”

“That’s not what I want to know. Tell me this, Morin, where did the shuttle go?”

The Morin shook his head. “I don’t know.”

AshOR pulled out a small medic pack from inside his coat pocket. “I can keep you alive for torture. Is that what you want?”

“Leave me be.”

“Where’s the shuttle?”

The Morin was breathing harder. “I only know that they took some damage to their ship and had to land to make repairs. They were supposed to pick me up but never showed.”

AshOR thought about everything he knew about the Morins. They liked to take cover and hide. Most likely they would head toward the nearest city and blend in with the background until it was time to leave.

“How about the cloaking? How do your transports suddenly disappear? Come on, for the sake of who your people once were, do the right thing.”

The Morin didn’t say anything, but he glanced upward. AshOR looked up and saw the moon shining brightly even though it wasn’t completely dark yet. When he looked back down at the Morin, he was barely breathing.

“I cannot betray my people.”

AshOR looked down at the male and saw not just a hated enemy; he saw a soldier following orders. He could relate to that. He didn’t want to, he didn’t want to look upon a foe and see similarities at all. Maybe all that separated his people from the Morins was their strong belief in the Goddess and all she stood for.

“I have...little time. I ask for mercy,” the Morin rasped out closing his eyes.

Mercy? The one thing that the Morins had never shown any species that it encountered. But AshOR wasn’t like them; he was a Colonial and an honorable warrior. He stood up and aimed his weapon at the Morin.

“Mercy is granted.” He shot the Morin in the forehead, killing him immediately. “May the Goddess also show mercy on your soul.”

“Commander AshOR!” One of his men called out, running up to him through the woods.

“He’s dead. Were you able to get anything from the Morin warship?”

“There were schematics of satellites on the corners of the transports.”

“For what purpose? A weapon?”

“No, it looks it sends out some kind of signal.”

He turned to look at the dead Morin, then back up at the moon. “Could these satellites be used to help cloak the transport ship?”

“Yes, but it would need a larger satellite to be able to cloak the warships and shuttles.”

“The moons are large satellites, are they not?” AshOR already knew the answer. “We need to go back toward the city.”

“Why would they risk being seen?”

“There are enough forests surrounding the city that they could land and hide themselves. At the same time it would be close enough they could keep an eye on those looking for them.” He made his way back to where he had left his warship. AshOR prayed he would be in time to keep the other Morins from doing any more damage.

Chapter 16

Commander TylOR came by to check on Ava several times. He assigned a lieutenant to guard her despite her refusal, and warned her to stay within the city limits. He also let her know that AshOR was safe and heading back in their direction. She breathed a sigh of relief. She would have to get used to being a warrior's wife and the fact that they often put their lives at risk. She wanted to be there for him and support him, even when his job was dangerous.

The medics were helping the volunteer warriors carry the injured inside the main building where the medical facilities were located. She was boxing up the supplies to take with them when a clamor of shouting and crying outside the tent got her attention.

Ava went outside to see what was going on. The sun was setting; it was starting to get dark pretty fast and a little bit cold. A lieutenant ran by her in a hurry. She turned to the lieutenant who was assigned to guard her.

“Excuse me, what’s going on?”

“One of the local young is missing. We are searching for him now.”

A child was missing? “How can I help?”

The lieutenant pointed to the building. “Go on inside where it is safe. I will then be able to join the search for the boy.”

She shook her head. “No way. I’m here to help, and I’ll just search without you unless you let me come with you.”

The male said a bunch of words that didn’t translate, so she assumed that he was cussing up a storm in his language. She held firm, crossing her arms over her chest, and he finally caved.

“Fine, but stay with the search party and don’t wander off. The mother says the young was playing with his friends close to the trees the last time she saw him. All the other young have been accounted for except for this one.”

“What’s his name?” Ava had to run to keep up with the man’s long legs.

He looked down at her in confusion. “I don’t know.”

Ava stopped moving and glared at him. “You don’t even know his name? Where’s his mother?’ The lieutenant pointed to a group of women who were comforting one of their number who was crying hysterically. “I’ll be right back.” She ran over to the women, and a few seconds later returned breathing hard. She really needed to get back on an exercise routine.

“Okay, the boy’s name is Sevoy and he is eight years old.”

The lieutenant used his comm link to let the others in the search know. “Come, they think they have him cornered.”

“Poor little thing. He’s probably freaking out.”

“Why would you feel sorry for him? He ran away from the safety of his family knowing that his people were under attack.”

“He’s only eight,” she reminded him.

“I was already training as a warrior with my uncle by the time I turned nine.”

She hadn’t thought much about what the new world would be like, except that there would be a lot of men in need of women. That had become clear when she first submitted her application. The Katierans, Kiljorns, and Colonists were from a warrior-based nation. They would raise their male children to be warriors and be ready to protect their people. She wasn’t sure how she felt about that.

“Well, these people are not full warriors like you guys. This came as a surprise to them. They were lucky to have enough shields and weapons to hold out until help showed up. I understand this.”

They approached the woods not far from where she and AshOR had shared sex. Where he claimed her as his mate. Those images popped in her head, and she her cheeks warm.

“Are you okay, miss? Your face is redder than before.”

“I’m fine, really.” She wanted him to drop the subject. She looked around and thought to herself,
Where would I go if I were a scared eight-year-old?

She loved to climb trees, so she looked up and scanned the branches. She would pick a tree not easily seen, with limbs she would be able to reach. She would climb high enough to look and see if her parents were coming for her, and if they were angry.

“Sevoy! Sevoy, honey, come on out! We’re here to help. Come on, Sevoy, your mother is really worried about you.” She walked forward and stopped when she heard scraping sounds. She held up her hand for the lieutenant to stop walking and to let her move forward on her own. He growled his displeasure but allowed her to move past his immediate view.

“Sevoy! It’s okay. Your mother just wants you to come home.” She heard sniffling close by. She looked up and saw a small boot-covered foot. Her heart was racing with relief and anxiety. She didn’t want the little guy to fall and get hurt.

“She’s mad at me,” a little voice said from above.

“No honey, she’s worried about you. Come on down and I’ll take you back.” She paused under the tree and waited.

“She’s not mad?”

Ava looked up and saw a little head peering down at her. “No, I promise she just wants you to come back to her. Will you come down for me?”

“I don’t know you.”

She smiled up at him. “My name’s Ava, and your mother said to tell you how much she loves you and that she just wants you to come home.”

He started to move down the tree, almost losing his grip a couple of times and making Ava gasp. When he was on the ground she opened her arms and he flew into them. “Are you okay? Hurt anywhere?”

“No. You’re sure she’s not mad at me?”

“No. I think you’re lucky, though. You could’ve been hurt. Come on, there’s a big warrior around here somewhere that will escort us back.”

“You came from the big ships above?”

“I did.”

“I’m glad you’re not with the ugly ones. They smell bad.”

Ava paused and looked down at the boy. “How do you know what they look or smell like?”

The boy looked nervous again. She knelt down to his level. “Sevoy, have you seen them?”

He nodded.

“Where?”

He pointed to an area behind her. She took the boy’s hand and began to walk faster toward the edge of the woods. She stopped when she noticed that the warrior who was guarding her wasn’t where she had left him. She had an uncomfortable, itchy feeling that someone was watching. She leaned down and whispered in the boy’s ear.

“When I tell you to, I want you to run as fast as you can back to the city center, find the biggest, tallest, baldest warrior and tell him where you saw the ugly ones,” she instructed him. He nodded silently and squeezed her hand. They took a few steps forward, and she heard steps on either side of her. She could feel them moving closer.

“Now Sevoy! Run!” She pushed the boy forward through the trees and turned to face the ones stalking her. She wished she hadn’t looked. They were hideous.

It was the first time she’d seen a Morin in person. They were large and sickly grey, and they smelled worse than rotten eggs. They were completely hairless, and their eyes were an unnatural, solid yellow. The one on the right pointed toward where Sevoy had ran.

“You get the young, I’ll take the female back to camp.”

She couldn’t let them get Sevoy. She ran and leaped at the other Morin, taking him by surprise and knocking him to the ground. She stood up and turned just as the other one grabbed her arm. She kicked him in the nuts and he went down as well. She turned to run, but a hand wrapped around her ankle, and she lost her balance and fell. She tried to kick herself free, but now the Morin had her other ankle in his hands.

“Let me go!”

“Hush, female, or we’ll kill you right here!”

She screamed. “Help! Someone help!”

“No one can help you. The warrior that was waiting for you is gone.”

She felt all the warmth drain from her face. “What did you do to him?”

“We killed him.” The Morin said as he walked over to her. “When we get through with you, you’re going to wish you were dead, too.”

The last thing she thought about was AshOR and how she wished she could have told him that she was in love with him. Pain shot across her face as the Morin hit her, and then everything started fading to black.