54 (DSV Nautica) Demons
Aki and Zhi moved toward the room they had been commanded to. The unusual amount of protectors suggested a high ranking official was in the vicinity, and it was probably related to their assignment. Sure enough, the center of the protector horde was the room they were supposed to go to.
It was dark with about half a dozen inner council members present. None of them looked pleased.
"Please, sit Captain."
Aki took a seat at the head of the table, while Zhi took a seat against the wall.
"Captain, were you aware of the existence of these machines?"
The center of the table projected a realistic hologram of the drone ship that attacked the Erebus. Aki felt a little faint. They knew?
It took her a little while to realize Ka'ya and De'an were in the room. That was just great, just great.
Aki remained as stone faced as her superiors, searching for words. They council members seemed to radiate irritation. Her hand closed on the scroll she had brought with her, making the decision last minute before they left the room.
"We are aware the Erebus took an unauthorized testing trip to a nearby cluster galaxy. What was the nature of this test?" The head council member made direct eye contact with her. She returned the gaze. Now was the time to shine, Aki, she told herself. You need to lie and get away with it.
"I was testing the intergalactic jump drive."
A ripple ran through the room. Another member spoke. One of the shorter ones of the group, leaned forward, frowning at Aki.
"The Matriarchs treatment may have gone to your head, young one. But we are still your superiors. You have an obligation to respond respectfully to our inquiries. What were you really doing?"
"I find that question insulting." Aki snapped, her facade holding much better than she thought.
The tension in the air escalated quickly. Their stony faces cracked at the edges. They felt snubbed.
"I informed you what I was doing. Now, if you are going to make an arrest or detain me, please do it quickly. I would rather have the minimal amount of time taken up by these accusations."
There was a collective mental sigh from the group.
"Your crew have confirmed your story, and the logs as well. I apologize Captain. But may we ask what the cause of damage was to the Erebus?"
Aki caught De'ans eye. He currently had a face carved out of granite, and Ka'ya was busy making shadows on the wall with her hands. De'an met her eye. They really did understand and respect each other.
"We assumed weak Auril joins were to blame. We took a little longer than usual because the conduits were disrupted by their detachment." Aki's eyes narrowed. "Are you suggesting that we are hiding something?"
The council members did their best to hide the accusation. "It was a misunderstanding, captain. The wounds on the Erebus looked very similar to the wounds on the Mors when it re-docked."
"Wounds? What wounds are these?"
The display changed again, displaying a miniature of the battle between the Mors and the three ships it encountered, including some close-ups of the drones which attacked it.
"These unknown vessels attacked the Mors on a recon mission. It appears as well, that the small fighters decimated the primitive civilization on the planet the fight occurred over."
This left Aki quite scared, stomach feeling the familiar stress knot, her throat quite dry. So their encounter wasn't an isolated event. This planet was even in a different galaxy. these Things had spread without them knowing.
"We are investigating the source of these forces, and who the race behind their design is, but we are still in the early stages. We have to move quickly, to find any others this plight may have touched and deal with it. We are still in the process of discerning the truth behind these events."
The silence in the room made Aki uncomfortable.
"We brought you here one on one to ask you about the damage to your ship and the unusually long time you spent out. Some thought that this new threat was connected to the events involving your ship. They were mistaken. We will contact you with your next assignment." The council members bowed and left one by one. Aki looked at De'an and Ka'ya, whom were both meeting her gaze with the same grim expressions. It was one of those few moments that Ka'ya was clear in the head. They needed no words, it was no accident that the council had addressed the three of them, one a communications Elite.
"The others will know." She said, voice low and monotone with serious tones. Her eyes had been replaced with bright electric globes as she stared off in space with purpose.
Ayr'een stopped in their tracks, all communications Elites. They eyes became vacant, staring into space, as if lost in a trance. Their aura began to intensify, small tendrils of will radiating from their bodies and forming a cloud around them. They could hear Ka'ya, one of their own, for she had a special message for them. The council had made her their mouthpiece to the empire, and they damn well better listen.
"Ra'ash, you have been selected. You are our Alpha." The female said, smiling softly. There was no better voice to bear the news. Every syllable floated into his ears on a cloud of seduction. He knew what she was capable of, and he enjoyed it.
"Thank you, Za'rah. Predictable outcome."
"That the ancient one named you as his preferred successor? Of course. It was set in stone. But it is one thing to say....another thing entirely to do." She swooped over to his side, holding him with one arm around his back. They stood at the pinnacle of the city, looking out over plains and mountains. They had come a very long way in a few thousand years.
"What might be your first order?"
"Prepare the fleet in orbit. We wait for a time. Patience...like he taught us." he bowed his head respectfully, sighing. "I already miss his leadership."
There was a silence between them. He turned to face her, running his hand alongside her curvaceous form, looking her up and down. They bowed their heads together, their palms meeting flat against each other by their sides.
The conduits of the Shinigami vessels flared as tens, if not hundreds of the curved, humpbacked superstructures slowly began the ascent out of the atmosphere of their planet. The sun glared against the sky. This world was cold, bitter. They had barely survived here, since that day. Since they day they had been cast out. The sky was blood red, due to the trace gases that permeated the atmosphere.
"Send...number 67 to this planet." He indicated a small terran world in a nearby galaxy. Well, somewhat nearby.
"And let's show them what we can do. What we WILL do to everyone, even them."
"They destroyed...what? Three of our Shinigamis. Versus one ship."
"One UNIQUE ship. The others will fall, and we still managed to do a fair bit of damage to it." He smirked. Time to go.
Flare and Aa'zac embraces, kissing with the fiery passion that most youth carried in their hearts, pausing only to kiss each other in various other...nonstandard areas. He wasn't afraid to hold her down and leave love bites on her shoulders, her chest, her stomach...Nothing permanent. They would disappear soon enough.
"Aa'zac..." Her voice was low, breathing fast and deep as he pulled her up against him. Her hair was loose, swaying with her every movement. He ran his hand through her hair, pausing to kiss her forehead. His finger gently moved to her slip, silencing her moan.
"Shhh..."
His fingers intertwined with hers, holding hands as he ran the tip of his tongue down from her forehead, down her face, to her neck. She was sweating slightly. Their minds touched each other, just as their palms did. They could each feel the pulse, the love, the care. Even the fear. They hid no emotions. It was for both of them to experience one another in a pure, unobstructed manner. Raw emotion.
His hips brushed hers as they prepared. She was tense. He had teased her for quite a while. They were ready.
His hips moved with hers, controlling their movements. Her breathing got shallow and erratic, she shifted as the blankets bunched up under her from their repeated rocking movements.
She began to moan, but his lips brushed hers, quieting them. "Hey....shhh..." He had to admit, it was hard for him to stay quiet as well.
"Flare...I love you...my...." His voice was growing shaky. It really didn't take long. The pleasure was too much for either of them. It would be too much for anyone. His hand slid down her hips, between her shivering loins. He brushed her sensitive skin, causing her whole body to jerk against him, gasping from the sudden touch.
"P-please..." She begged him, eyes meeting his. He could see the passion, love, pleasure....torture.
His hips intensified in their movements, his hands braced themselves against the ground over her shoulders. Moans began to escape both their lips, before they both reached the crescendo of the act, Flare grabbing Aa'zac, arching her back, while he pressed into her, mouth agape and eyes shut. They let their cries out together, as his essence entered her writhing body. They both collapsed under the strain, panting and heaving heavily.
"My...love." She held his head close to her cheek, taking in a deep breath through her nose. His scent was strong, masculine, but at the same time it was soft and caring. They began to calm themselves as the suns fall progressed, finding comfort in each other's arms against the cold black unknown that was the night.
The Matriarch sat in her chambers, the bed disturbed. She stood at the plate glass window, staring out at the planet below. Night had fallen on this side, though in the distance, Cerebri shone brightly, still catching light from the systems sun. She had tried to get some sleep, but the recent events were bothering her to no end. She had to relax.
The bath was filled to the brim with steaming water. In physically cleaning the body, one could do the same to the mind and soul, at least for a little while. Her thoughts slowed and stilled as she soaked , the room thick with steam. Even in the night this place pulsed with energy. There may be a night and day cycle, but the space around New Ayr never slept. Nor did the galaxy. They couldn't afford to. She had a feeling the Asura had awoken.