Dark Space: The Invisible War (15 page)

Atton deferred the question to his drinking buddy. “Have we—
hic
—’ad enough, Ithy?”

Ithicus was swaying on his barstool with a black maverick in one hand and a plasma grenade cocktail in the other. “There’s only one way to find out.” A slow grin spread across his lined face.

“What’s ‘hat?”

“Another drink!”

They both laughed raucously.

Aurora frowned at them, and her gaze slipped away to see a fresh face approaching her bar. “Finally, some intelligent company! What’ll you be having?”

Atton turned to see Alara walking lithely up to the bar, her hips swaying, her eyes finding first him and then Ithicus and giving each of them a long, up-and-down look.

“Hello, boys,” she said, ignoring the bartender.

“Hoi,” Atton managed despite a suddenly dry throat.

Ithicus just grinned. When she came close, he reached out and grabbed her by the waist. She smiled and squealed, allowing him to draw her into his lap.

“What are you doing, Lieutenant?” Alara asked in a coy voice.

“It’s Lieutenant Commander now.”

“Mmmm,” Alara purred. “A commander. I suppose that means you like giving orders . . . taking command . . . being
obeyed
. Very sexy.”

“That’s right,” Ithicus nodded. “Hoi! Aurora, get the lady a drink! It’s on me.”

“I like a man who knows how to give orders,” Alara went on.

“Well, you’re really gonna like me, then.”

Atton sat watching the exchange with a rising complaint stuck in his throat—at first because he’d imagined Alara sitting on
his
lap, but then because he remembered who Alara was. This was his father’s copilot, and she had a slave chip implanted. She’d have sex with anyone, do anything, and
like
it—if they had the Sols.

Atton felt a hot surge of anger building, but he clamped down on it. Ithicus couldn’t have known. He opened his mouth to explain, but Aurora was back. She frowned at the cuddling couple which had somehow taken the place of the old drunken pilot who’d been sitting at her bar a moment ago.

“Well, that was fast. You must be more charming that I thought, Lieutenant.”

He smiled thinly at her. “Get the lady a plasma grenade, would you?”

“I think the lady should order her own drink.”

“No,” Alara said, looking up. “I want him to order for me. That way it’s a surprise.”

“You sure?” Aurora asked, her eyebrows drawing together. “You look like you could use your inhibitions a while longer.”

Ithicus slammed an open palm on the bar counter, his eyes flashing at the bartender. “Just get the lady her drink, okay?”

Aurora’s eyes hardened. “I think you need to leave my bar, Lieutenant.”

“It’s lieutenant commander, and I’ll leave when I frekkin’ feel like it!”

“Then I’m afraid I’m going to have to call the IFS.”

Ithicus barked a laugh. “That’s a joke! There’s no such damn thing! You think we have IFS on board? We barely have a crew. Go ahead, call them!”

“It would be easier if you’d have some self-control and stop embarrassing yourself and the uniform.”

Ithicus glared at her. “You know what,” he said, rising from his barstool and lifting Alara off his lap as though she were a child. “I think you’re right. It’s time for us to go. Maybe we can continue this party where we have a little more privacy.”

“Sounds good to me,” Alara said, with one hand on Ithicus’s broad barrel chest as she looked up at him with wide, innocent eyes.

Atton finally managed to come to his senses enough to speak. He rose unsteadily from his chair and smiled at Alara before turning to Ithicus. “Could I have a word with you, LC?”

“Not now, Adan.”

“Yes now, and that’s an order.”

Ithicus glared at him, and the pulsing tongues-of-fire tattoo on his forearm seemed to flare a brighter blue. “We’ll talk in the morning.” Ithicus turned to leave, taking Alara by the arm.

She waved to Atton and blew him a kiss over Ithicus’s shoulder.

Atton grimaced and caught up to Ithicus in one quick stride, grabbing him by the arm to stop him. “Ithicus. Have you forgotten I outrank you now?”

Ithicus turned to him with a sarcastic gleam in his dark brown eyes, and Atton heard Aurora speaking in hushed tones into the comm at the bar.

 ”We’re all about to die, Adan. Everything we knew is gone—
again
—and frek it if I care anymore. You know how many people we lost aboard the
Valiant
? Do you even know their names? Does
anyone
know their names? They’re just gone. They’re not coming back, and neither are we. So frek your rank, Adan. It doesn’t mean krak. We’re all going to be space dust, so excuse me if I don’t give flyin’ frek what you say. You want to give me orders?” Ithicus’s chest rose and fell quickly with pent-up rage. “You can give me orders in the netherworld.”

Atton scowled, and what he said next came through gritted teeth. “She’s chipped, Ithicus. You can’t take her to your quarters, or anywhere. She isn’t who she thinks she is.”

Alara stepped between the two men before Ithicus could even reply, and she jabbed a finger in Adan’s chest. “You know what, he’s right. Frek you! Why don’t you just frek off and mind your own business?”

Atton blinked, startled by her outburst. “Alara . . .” he began, but she was already turning away.

“Come on, Ithy, let’s go. I have some ideas about how we can relax.”

Atton winced at the implication of her words, but he didn’t try to follow them this time. He just watched helplessly as Ithicus led Alara to the lift tubes and his quarters waiting below decks. He would use her roughly, and she was going to let him—even encourage him.

One of the lift tubes opened just before Ithicus and Alara reached them, and out stepped a pair of corpsmen, holding their rifles at the ready, followed by the overlord.

“Good evening,” Ethan greeted as they approached. The guards stepped forward and seized Alara by the arms.

She kicked one of them in the chins, but her foot bounced off his armor, and she yelped. “Frek you! Let me go!” she said.

Ithicus’s gaze found the overlord’s and he gave a sloppy salute. “Sir,” he said, swaying on his feet.

“At ease, Commander,” Ethan replied. “I’m afraid your date is out past her curfew, and we’re going to have to return her to her parents now.”

Ithicus frowned, but he nodded slowly. “Yes, sir.”

Ethan turned to watch as his guards dragged Alara kicking and screaming toward the lift. “One more thing.”

“Sir?”

“Did you know that prostitution is illegal in the Imperium, and that soliciting carries a two to five year sentence?”

“Yes, sir, but—”

“You didn’t know she was chipped. That’s fair, this is just your first warning. I assume I won’t need to issue another one.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good night then, gentlemen.”

With that, Ethan turned to leave and he followed Alara and his guards into the lift.

Atton watched the lift drop away, and then he breathed a sigh of relief. Hopefully his father’s warning would keep Ithicus in check, but Ethan would have to issue a similar warning to every man on the ship if he was going to keep Alara safe.

Ithicus caught Atton’s eye and jerked his chin. “What’re you lookin’ at?”

Atton shrugged. “I told you she was chipped.”

“Frek you, Adan.” Ithicus turned and continued on toward the lifts.

Atton frowned and shook his head. “I’m going to dismiss that insubordinate remark as the alcohol talking. Go sleep it off!”

Ithicus gave no reply as he stepped into the next lift tube and rode it down the flight deck. Atton shook his head. “Dumb brute.”

He felt a hand land on his shoulder, and turned to see Aurora standing behind him. “Next time you’re here, your drinks are on me.”

Atton smiled. “Thanks. You sure I can’t buy you one now?”

She shook her head. “I think we’d both better hit the rack.”

Atton nodded. “Raincheck then.”

“It’s a date.”

Atton laughed and made his own way to the lifts. Turning and walking backward, Atton said, “You’re almost twice my age, Aurora.”

“Which means I have twice the experience.” Her amber eyes glittered as she smiled at him. “Think about that.”

“In your dreams.”

“No, in yours,” she said, winking at him.

The lift returned and Atton walked inside. He punched the crew deck and the lift dropped swiftly away before their banter could turn serious. He smirked to himself and shook his head. Sometimes a forward woman could be very sexy. Then his thoughts turned to Alara, and his smirk turned to a frown.
Sometimes.

He hoped that Ethan found a way to reign her in before she ended up sleeping with every man on board.

*  *  *

Ethan took Alara back to his quarters instead of her parents’ so they could talk. He left the guards posted outside his door. She noticed, and shot him a lurid smile. She obviously misunderstood his intentions.

“Mmmm, now I get it,” she purred, coming up behind him and touching his arm gently as she whispered in his ear, “You just wanted me for yourself.”

Ethan turned to her with a grimace. “Alara, that’s not—”

She was backing away, her hands already popping the buttons on her blouse. She shrugged the blouse off and it fluttered to the floor.

“Alara, put that back on.”

She giggled as she began working on her pants, her hips swaying to a silent melody. “Make me.”

Ethan started after her as her pants fell off and she kicked them away. She was backing toward his bed, leading him there. She unclipped her bra to reveal two perfectly rounded breasts just as she stepped into the leafy shadows cast by the ferns growing up along the dividing privacy wall between Ethan’s living area and his bedroom. Ethan felt an answering stir inside of him, but fought to push it away as he followed Alara to the bed.

Now she worked her panties off, one corner at a time, teasing him with partial glimpses, before working them slowly down her thighs and legs to bare all. Ethan stopped before entering the bedroom, and now he looked away, holding one hand over his eyes and another up between him and Alara in a vain attempt to preserve her modesty.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, sounding hurt. “Am I not pretty enough for you? You don’t want to look at me?”

“Alara, it’s not that, it’s—”

“My name’s Angel, she interrupted, and then she walked up to him and grabbed his hand—

And placed it there. Ethan flinched as he felt something warm and wet graze his palm. He opened his eyes to see where she’d placed his hand, and he recoiled from her. “Alara!”

“Frek me!” she said, her violet eyes wild as pulled him close and kissed him firmly on the lips. She forced her tongue past his clenched teeth, and he gave her a rough shove away from him. Alara tumbled to the floor with a yelp of surprise and pain. She sat looking up at him with genuine hurt now.