Collateral Trade (6 page)

Tian set the scroll aside. “Father, how will you be able to spend five years away from light father and mother?” He could not imagine such a sacrifice.

“We have been together long enough for me to hold them inside of me, and my brother will look after our mate’s needs. Tian, being light twin does not mean you lack the strength to protect your mate. Your primary focus will always be compromise and diffusing situations, but when you find her, and if Chaya is away, you’re protective side will come to the front.”

Chaya grumbled, “I will not be away when we find our mate.”

Danilo laughed and clapped his son on the shoulder. “I suspect you will be within distance to protect her at all times.”

Dark fathers coordinated flights, choosing different quadrants of primitive space to search and barter for women. These primitives’ passenger ships would be overpopulated with generations born since their departure. The vessel would be stretched to the metal seams of their physical capacity to house the increasing numbers, and supplies would be running out. Without knowledge and access to the Universal Star Charts, the primitive species would have no clear destination.

Actana ships would approach with offers to supply fuel, replenish supplies, and offer navigation to a new world. As further benefit, the primitives need only lessen the passenger load on their cramped ship. It was a collateral trade: life and continued existence in exchange for their excess women. Even the less advanced species would recognize the value of such an offer.

Depending on the needs and destructive propensities of the primitives they discovered, the Actana Commanders would shrewdly trade supplies and, most important, the destination planet they chose for the weary travelers to inhabit. The acceptable destinations chosen were indicated on the Universal Star Charts. The species’ new home could sustain them with an agreeable atmosphere and meager supplies. No one wanted primitives inadvertently acquiring resources to travel and run amok through their galaxy with their lack of control.

They launched the Cathisis with a crew of dark fathers and two hundred second-set twins. For four years they searched space and found only six species able to survive on Actana. Even at the threat of finding no others, none of the men desired to mate with them. This was understandable, as the women resembled vegetation, were either missing parts or limbs, or their sexual organs were so disagreeably placed it would make bonding impossible. Dark fathers and twins agreed to continue the journey, remaining optimistic that another ship with an acceptable race would be located.

At last, a small ship appeared in the viewport, and the Cathisis arranged a meeting. Encouraging compatibility reports sent excitement through the crew. The Commander of the primitives’ vessel seemed optimistic, almost to a panicked relief, with a suggestion of a trade.

Commander Danilo studied the couple seated across the table. His sons stood behind him, and Danilo wondered if they would be interested in this opportunity.
I doubt it
. His dark eyes studied his guest’s wife, and although her proportions were adequate and things seemed to be in the correct places, the shimmer of her turquoise skin was distracting. She was Casiqua Royalty, and yet she struggled to remain visible. Danilo knew the females offered for trade would not possess her resolve and limited control.

The Casiqua Commander stated the obvious, substantiating Danilo’s concern. “It is not an easy matter to gather them for viewing. They have been born on the ship and never taught to control their impulses.”

The woman laid a flickering hand on her husband’s arm. Her irises were like mirrors, and her form wavered with her struggle not to fade. “There has never been a need to train them for this.”

She was agitated, and Danilo watched her change slightly, blending into the chair she sat on when she looked over to him. He smiled patiently to try to calm her. “They are familiar with training, then?”

“Yes, though only in minor tasks to keep our ship running,” she admitted. “We have never been approached for a collateral trade. It’s been two generations since we left our planet.”

Danilo sat back and tented his hands, knowing by her shimmering form that she was lying. He had been working through a minefield of ambiguous answers to his questions for over an hour. “Remind me why your deserted your world.”

The woman faded to an almost transparent state and her husband’s form began to waver, but his voice remained strong with determination not to let these outsiders gain the upper hand.

Chaya clenched his jaw to keep from laughing. Once thing was certain, if they chose a mate from this species, she could never deceive them. He would quite literally be able to see through her lies. Tian was trying to figure out why the hell they were being deceptive to begin with. They were trying to act as if everyone at the table was beginning on even ground. Obviously, the Casiquas had to be in dire straits to even agree to meet for a collateral trade.

“Our resources were low and the soil deteriorated. We ruled there for over one hundred generations.” There was pride in the Commander’s voice, and he announced how one of his ancestors personally volunteered to guide the ship that would find them a new home. “Naturally, we had not anticipated the problems we have incurred. Most viable planets already have a hierarchy in place they are not willing to restructure. Casiquas, as rulers, refuse to adapt to living under another species.” He quickly amended, “We do not need complete reign, but we would like a vote.”

“Understandable,” Danilo agreed, and he referred to his notes. “The trade under consideration is for two years of supplies in exchange for one hundred women.”

The Casiqua Commander amended, “And welcome on planet where we can rebuild and have a voice.”

“Of course.” Danilo rose. “Let me discuss this with our Provisions Officer, and I’m sure you need to make arrangements of your own. Shall we meet for dinner on board your ship with our decision?”

“No,” the couple gasped in unison, and completely faded for an instant. There would be no way to prepare their ship and attempt to hide the swarming numbers of passengers. The man recovered first and gradually took form. “That is, we are curious about your larger ship. If it is not an imposition, we would like a short tour after our meeting.”

Danilo smiled. “Well then, until dinner.” Danilo bowed his head, and his sons followed him out of the meeting room.

Danilo strode quickly down the corridor, and he stopped out of view from the door. “Chaya, check the specs on their planet. I believe our ship, the Fontisa, is in that quadrant.”

“Yes, father.” Chaya stood in the corridor, silently communicating with his twin after staring into his dark father’s eyes.

Danilo put his hands on Chaya’s shoulders, pulling his attention away from Tian. “They are hiding something, son. I’ll not be responsible for bringing a plague to our world. They don’t seem like a threat, but something is off.”

The something turned out to be massive. The Casiquas bred profusely. Their planet was twice the size of Actana and stood desolate as a moon, completely ravaged of resources. Not only that, the species had little compassion for even their own. When they scraped together enough materials and supplies to send out an exploration ship, one of the Royals boarded it in secret with his closest friends and departed.

From the little Tian could learn, the ship became an extravaganza for the wealthy inhabitants, indulging on the supplies for a century before even casting cursory glances for another home. They located a world willing to allow one thousand immigrants in exchange for another fifty years of ship supplies. Within two generations, they had overpopulated this new planet and the original species was forced to relocate.

“They’re parasites,” Danilo murmured.

“Do we still trade?” Chaya’s eyes deepened at the thought of tracking a mate, and he could feel despair taking hold of his twin.

“We do, although I am lowering the trade to one year supplies for fifty women. Bred with Actana twins, the propensity for litters should lesson as their line is diluted.”

Danilo smiled at Tian. “Naturally, my sons have consideration for a mate.” He could see the relief wash over him and he arched an eyebrow. “There
are
advantages to having your father as Commander.”

The Casiqua Commander returned with an opposite suggestion. He wanted to trade two hundred women, one for each set of twins, in exchange for five years of supplies. He made the offer as if he were sacrificing for the benefit of the Actana men and to show how generous they would be on planet.

“We stand firm on fifty,” Danilo replied. “As lovely as your women are, there is hesitation among my men as to whether they will ever be able to train them not to camouflage and deny them access to their beauty.”

Tian could feel Chaya’s laughter. The Casiqua Commander could offer no guarantees, because even his wife could not control the fade when she was nervous.

The next day, fifty sets of twins carried the supplies to the Casiqua ship and began an exhaustive hide and seek game among the cramped vessel in search of mates. They had not been contained in quarters, and the Casiqua Commander had no restrictions on which women were caught. He seemed completely disinterested with the fact he was exiling his followers to an unknown fate with the intimidating warriors. His features had eased, and he remained in solid form at the relief of new supplies.

“Tian.” Chaya grasped his brother’s arm and pulled him into a storage compartment. He looked around the small space and closed his eyes, using his heightened sense of smell to investigate the room and make sure no Casiqua was blended into the walls or shelving. “It’s clear.”

Tian had lines of strain around his usually calm blue eyes. “This is becoming more of a chore than we considered.”

“This is a pain in the ass.” Chaya swept blonde waves off his brother’s shoulders and rested his hands on them while he stared into his eyes. He was the dark twin, the leader, though on such a matter of importance he would let Tian have his say. In silent twin-speak, Chaya conveyed his concerns.

“We should wait.” A heavy lump dropped into Tian’s stomach when he said the words. Even the slight relief in Chaya’s dark eyes did not ease the knot. “Chaya, we have only one more year, and these are the first we have found that have passed, much less agreed to the trade.”

“There are others out there, Tian.” Chaya’s eyes blazed with intensity. “There must be.” He stroked a hand down his brother’s back, literally feeling his pain. “No matter their qualifications, this species is far too disruptive and frustrating. We have been on this ship for two days and only located half of them. The trade provided for fifty, and the remaining females are going to be harder to catch than the first batch.” Chaya could sense Tian’s depression. “My soul is aching for a mate too, brother. We will find her, but not among the Casiquas.”

“We should help the rest of the twins locate them,” Tian suggested.

Chaya smiled at his brother’s compassion. “Agreed, but we will pass on any we catch.” Chaya laughed, and squeezed his brother’s shoulders. “That is,
if
we can catch any of the creatures.”

“I can’t believe father agreed to let their relatives transfer to our planet.”

“He didn’t. He merely stated they could transfer
on
planet, but it won’t be Actana. I saw the coordinates he gave their Commander, and they indicate Rashilla Three. It’s small, but it has more than enough resources to hold them through many generations.”

“Thank god for that, at least.” Tian worried what would happen to their structured world if the chaotic species joined them. They bred like fillia with three women to each man, and dark father was wise not to chance more of the invasive species.

“There will be another ship and we will find our mate, Tian. Come, let’s help our brothers and continue the search.”

With the pressure off to search for their mate, Tian felt his stomach loosen with his brother’s confident words. Soon, they found themselves once more engaged in the hide and seek game aboard ship, and Tian and Chaya focused on finding an elusive female for other searching twins. As Tian watched twins’ frustration with the women, it became apparent the childish creatures would not be truly compatible. Still, the thought of never finding a mate…

The brothers strode down the narrow corridor single file with Chaya leading. The smaller Casiqua men could pass unencumbered, but the twins had to back against the wall for others of their kind to squeeze by.

Chaya and Tian were taking a break and they wanted to see the bridge of the alien craft. It was unremarkable, and the instruments quite primitive in design and function. The Casiqua Commander had led their father to believe they could exist another decade without new supplies. The cramped vessel had divided original cabins, separating them into five to adjust for their flourishing numbers. Danilo had done them a favor with the coordinates to Rashilla Three.

Chaya gazed at the Cathisis through the viewport. It was a magnificent ship and he was proud to be Second Navigator. His eyes narrowed on a shimmer over the bow and he followed the faint line, slowly approaching the pane. In a flash, he reached out an arm and gripped a wrist. “Gotcha’.” There was laughter from the clear form he pulled away from the viewport.

“Ayana, you have been told to stay off the bridge,” the Commander reprimanded. His mood was dour, and he had to force himself to be cordial after the Actanas turned down his offer of two hundred women. At least they would be on planet soon. Hidden within the passages containing air vents and plumbing, three thousand Casiquas waited for word to once more run rampant through the corridors.

At last, a fiftieth female was captured. There was no pretense the exercise had been selective, because many of the twins had yet to see their mate as she remained in fade. They were transported to the Cathisis. Most giggled nervously, reaching out for cocks and swiping bottoms playfully. None of them cried at leaving their ship. It was nothing more than a new game to them.