Alien Interludes (19 page)

Then a howl broke through, and the tireless friction within stuttered, stopped, started, stopped and started again. The flesh within hers pulsed hugely, feeding her its life fluid in unfurling ribbons of heat.

Cassidy gasped for breath, feeling the cuffs at her wrists once more, her weight hanging from her arms, the firm muscled body of her Nobek, his arms wrapped about her waist. His chest heaved against hers as his cocks jerked a few more times inside her sheath.

“Everyone al right in here?” came Degorsk’s amused voice from the doorway.

Cassidy and Lidon each mumbled something uninteligible but affirmative. The Imdiko’s chuckle was joined by Tranis’. Cassidy wondered how much of the encounter they had watched.

Lidon took her down and put her to bed a few minutes later. She fel asleep almost instantly, never once thinking of her grandfather.

Mission accomplished.

* * * *

Dramok Kivokan was big, handsome, charming, and utterly reasonable, Cassidy thought as she listened to his arguments to sentence General Hamilton to a mind wipe. She believed those qualities also made him dangerous.

“Patrick Hamilton is an incredibly inteligent man who has been irreversibly damaged by zealotry. This fanaticism was inherent in Earth’s global mindset long before he was born. Coupled with being born homosexual, it was only to be expected he would develop a psychosis that made him hate not only his people but himself.” Kivokan addressed the judging panel, but his rich voice roled over the assembled onlookers, rendering them in silent thral. He would have made a successful used hovercar salesman back on Earth, Cassidy thought.

“The therapeutic mind cleansing wil give him the chance to be the man nature intended. We wil erase the past mistakes in which he was told he wasn’t good enough for his god. Under my team’s guidance and with a new identity, he wil be a productive member of society. The man most directly responsible for crippling his people wil help to lift them up once again.” The Alneusian judge conferred with the judge to its right then fixed its gaze on Kivokan. “How long wil it take for General Hamilton to be deemed fit for rejoining society?” Kivokan smiled apologeticaly. “A little longer than most, given his advanced years. The older Earther brain is not so easily retrained. I hope for no more than two years once the procedure is done.

Occupational and some physical therapy wil be required.”

“My understanding was that with your procedure, physical abilities would remain intact.”

The Dramok was unruffled. “Again, his age is a factor. He wil retain gross motor skils with fine motor skils needing only a few weeks of modification to regain ful capacity. His people residing on one of the new colonies can put him to use successfuly once we’ve re-educated his social abilities.”

Put him to use
. His choice of words gave Cassidy a cold feeling, and she wondered if mind wiped humans could be programmed as slaves. Her grip on Tranis and Degorsk’s hands tightened, and both men looked at her curiously. She eased up with an apologetic smile.

She looked around the assembled audience. The vast majority had caled for execution from the first day of the trial, but more than a few were nodding with interest at Kivokan’s proposal. Even some Earthers seemed open to the prospect. If she had to gauge the acceptance level of this sample of the Galactic Colective, Cassidy would guess about half found it palatable, with a quarter taking it under consideration. The other quarter looked absolutely livid. Plenty stil wanted blood for blood and would be satisfied with nothing less.

The judges showed nothing beyond polite interest, the same expressions they’d worn when hearing testimony for various manners of execution. One Plasian representative had advocated quick, merciful execution using a compound applied as easily as hand cream to Hamilton’s skin. He’d die two days later, faling into a deep sleep from which he’d never awaken. When Cassidy asked about it during the meal break, she’d found Lidon was very familiar with it due to his past spy work. “Developed in Kalquorian labs,” he’d told her. “I could have it on my hand, as it wouldn’t affect me at al. Shaking your hand would transfer enough to kil you. It wouldn’t show up on any tests afterward either. Very humane, very effective.” There were also arguments for more drawn-out methods of death, coming mostly from Kalquorian, Dantovonian, and Earth representatives. No one had opted to recommend life imprisonment.

A glance at General Hamilton was no more instructive. His posture was stiff, as rigid as his politics. His expression was grim and disapproving, but then, that was the norm for him. Her grandfather had only ever looked pleased when things were going his way, and even those circumstances had to be pretty great.

Kivokan continued his oh-so reasonable sounding plea. “Not only wil the therapeutic mind cleansing provide a sane, viable alternative to execution, but it wil be justice to at least one person. As you heard from Matara Cassidy Hamilton’s testimony during the trial, the general committed the heinous crime of brainwashing his own granddaughter to make her testify falsely against her heroic mother. This led to Jacquelyn Hamilton’s murder by the same criminals who are directly responsible for the deaths of bilions of Earthers. What better repayment for such brutality, I ask you?” It took al of Cassidy’s self-control to not stand and scream at the psychiatrist. He was using her to make his argument! Degorsk shook his head, his lips thinned tight. Tranis turned purple with anger. Only Lidon, standing guard over Hamilton, kept his composure, though Cassidy thought she detected his posture stiffening.

A few more minutes of persuasive speech, and Kivokan stepped away from the podium. He looked pleased with himself, and Cassidy had the irrational urge to slap the satisfaction from his face.

The judges adjourned court for the day to deliberate. “Al others who wish to testify must apply to stand before this panel tomorrow by no later than 1600 hours tonight,” the lead judge proclaimed.

The panel left. Their exit was folowed by Hamilton’s, who was escorted out to the usual catcals and screams of hatred.

Cassidy turned to Tranis. “I want to see the general.”

Her Dramok stared at her, his thoughts unreadable. After a moment, he looked up at Degorsk. “Opinion?” The Imdiko’s hand rubbed the back of her neck, where she was the most tense. He too looked at her for a moment before nodding. “Despite her youth, she is a grown woman who knows her own mind, my Dramok. And this issue is eating her up inside. Let her meet with him.”

Tranis kissed the back of her hand. “You know his state of mind and how he feels about you, my love.”

She nodded. “Maybe you should keep Lidon away. He can’t stand it when the general rants at me.”

Degorsk snickered. “Good luck making that happen.”

Tranis sighed. “I’l insist he keeps his mouth shut and his knives sheathed. I don’t want my Nobek serving time for executing Hamilton before the Galactic Council decides that should be his fate.” Cassidy turned her face up, and Tranis obliged her with a kiss. “Thank you.”

Degorsk got to his feet with a grimace. “Let’s get this over with. Why do I feel no one wil want dinner tonight?” Tranis and Cassidy folowed him down the aisle, past the now respectfuly quiet crowd. The little Earther steeled herself for the coming discussion. “The general does have an amazing track record when it comes to kiling even my appetite.”

* * * *

“Here is the whore and her demons, come to gloat over my plight.”

Cassidy bit back a retort at the general’s insult. If she got upset, not only might it spur Lidon to retribution, but it would give Patrick Hamilton no end of hateful delight that he’d gotten to her.

With court over for the day, the general’s spotless uniform had been traded for a wrinkled one-piece red coveral. The less than crisp attire seemed to underscore how her grandfather had aged greatly in the last year and a half. His frame was stil spare without an ounce of fat and his jaw stil strong. But the lines in his face had deepened, his shoulders were more stooped, and the hectic light of fanaticism that once filed his eyes seemed to have dimmed. The few times Cassidy had spoken to him since Armageddon had torn Earth apart, his rants had seemed more lip service than truly believed.

Once upon a time she had feared this man. He’d controled her life, had even controled her mind. Then Tranis’ clan had taken them both prisoner, which had ironicaly granted her freedom. Freedom to live a ful life, freedom to chase her dreams, freedom to love without fear. General Hamilton no longer was Cassidy’s bogeyman.

“I’d ask how you’re doing, but that would be stupid,” she told him. “No matter what your sentence turns out to be, the outcome wil be terrible for you.”

“I don’t want your sympathy,” Hamilton sneered.

“I’m not offering you any.” She felt nothing for him and marveled at her lack of emotion. But if he meant so little to her now, why was she so worried about his fate?

“This possibility of a mind wipe has me concerned,” she said. “I don’t think – what’s wrong?”

Hamilton’s face had gone pale as death at her comment. He sat on the smal bench that made up the whole of his cel’s furniture, as if his legs had become too shaky to stand.

“The mind wipe.” His eyes went to the Kalquorians standing behind Cassidy. “What hideous madness made you come up with such a misbegotten punishment?” Cassidy didn’t want to open up the possibility for a heated exchange between her mates and the general. Before any of them could respond, she said, “I’m also horrified by the idea. You deserve to have justice passed on you, but I’m wiling to testify on your behalf against the procedure.”

Her grandfather blinked. “Why? I thought you hated me.”

“I feel nothing for you. But this sentence they might give you is an abomination.” Cassidy sank into the chair Lidon had set behind her. “I know why this proposed sentence bothers me. Why does it bother you?”

“I wil lose my faith. The face of God wil be lost to me, because these damned creatures wil not guide my vanished mind to the truth.” He leaned forward, the horror in his expression making Cassidy’s heart heavy. “My urges, the ones that wil damn my soul, wil have free reign over me. I wil lie with men and not beg forgiveness because I wil not know it is a sin abhorrent to God!”

“How can it be a sin if God created you to prefer men?” Cassidy asked.

“God sets obstacles to test our souls. He made me this way that I might prove my faith,” Hamilton declared. “But with my mind gone and beliefs erased, I wil have no defense against my sinful nature. This wil destroy any hope of divine forgiveness.”

“I think you sel God short,” Cassidy replied. “While I find you monstrous with no redeeming value at al, seeing the real you destroyed is repugnant to me. I can’t let it happen without speaking out against it.”

Hamilton considered her. Finaly he nodded. “You are a godless creature, and I no longer accept you as a part of my family. But desperation for my immortal soul makes me humble before any gesture of help. Thank you.”

Cassidy stood and turned to her silent clan. “I wil speak before the judges tomorrow.”

* * * *

“How did your team do today?” Cassidy asked Tranis that evening.

He smiled. “They won. Only one player was seriously injured.”

They had their quarters to themselves. Lidon was going over security issues at court headquarters with other staff. Degorsk was giving General Hamilton his daily forced feeding. Cassidy’s grandfather had gone on a hunger strike soon after Earth’s demise. Too many wanted him to face justice to alow him to starve himself, so the court had ordered intravenous feedings. At Cassidy’s request, the duty had falen to Degorsk. That he and Lidon took care of Hamilton on her behalf, a man both despised above al others, told her how much they loved her.

Tranis had checked in with his office a few minutes before, but before he’d shut the vid off, Cassidy had seen playback of a kurble game. Kurble was the main Kalquorian sport, played almost exclusively by young unclanned Nobeks. Similar to Earth’s footbal, it employed a bal with poisoned barbs that shot out at random intervals. Kurble was not only bloody but deadly as wel, and in Cassidy’s opinion, stupid. Half a dozen of its players were kiled or severely maimed every year.

Tranis loved it. He played a more sedate, non-deadly version of the game when he could round up enough people for a couple of teams. No matter how many times he broke an arm or a leg or how many hours he spent puking the poison from his system, he delighted in the sport. Lidon was almost as bad. Despite being the one forced to patch them up, Degorsk cheered the pair on when they played like a dad at his kids’ Little League games.

Sily men.

Tranis came to her, the heat in his eyes making conversation unneeded. Being folded into his muscled arms, pressed against his chest, his mouth claiming hers took Cassidy far from the rigors of the day.

She wrapped her arms around Tranis’ neck, giving herself over to his embrace.

He wasn’t as rough as Lidon, but he left no doubt as to his ardor. Tranis ripped the front of Cassidy’s blouse to expose her bountiful chest, lifting her off her feet to bury his face between the round orbs.

He groaned his delight and kissed his way to one pert nipple, sucking it deep into his maw. Cassidy cried out as his cat-scratchy tongue rubbed over the sensitive flesh, shocking her nerve endings.

Tranis growled in response to her yel and sucked harder. Sharp pain stabbed into her breast for an instant as he sank his teeth into her. She clutched his long, wavy hair in tight handfuls as fierce arousal broke over her. The soothing euphoria of the intoxicant pouring from Tranis’ fangs into her veins calmed only her mind. Her body was a riot of need.

Tranis carried her to the wal, his hungry mouth moving to the other breast as he walked. Cassidy had no idea how he knew where he was going with his face buried against her. She didn’t care either once she was sandwiched between the ungiving surface of the wal and the rock of her Dramok mate. Pinned helpless, she warbled a birdlike sound as Tranis held her trapped, ravishing her unmercifuly with mouth, teeth, and tongue.