When Worlds Collide

Bryson looked over toward the shuttle Endeavour' as he prepared to leave his Starship, Victory. There were just three others of his crewmen to accompany him and the Ambassador and he watched the by-play with interest for a moment.

Ambassador Calandra was in deep conversation with Sterling. The blond Lieutenant was polite, but as distant as ever, looking to Bryson's practiced eye as though he was just waiting the perfect opportunity to make his escape. His Chief Security Officer Delaney was, by contrast, highly animated and trying to deflect Calandra's attention to him. The brunette was not deterred by the flame-haired Ambassador's apparent lack of interest. Standing and adding the occasional comment was his First Officer Enapay.

He was leaving his Chief Engineering Officer to captain Victory in their absence. Enapay was also the ship's Science Officer and highly knowledgeable when it came to other races' customs. He was glad that Enapay's shedding had been completed before the mission had come their way. He ran his eyes over the reptilian form from the small horns atop vertically-slitted red-brown eyes to the tail that moved slowly side-to-side. He could see the silver scales that occasionally glistened amongst the others of red, orange and gold. His friend had entered mid-life and skin-shedding had been an inevitable part of that phase. He had missed Enapay's presence while the reptilian had been away.

As if aware of the silent scrutiny, the snake-man eased himself away from the other to join Bryson.

"I do not think Delaney will have any success with Ambassador Calandra," he informed his Captain. "However, nor will she have any effect from her flirting with Sterling."

"Our 'Ice Prince' living up to his nickname as usual," Bryson sighed. "I worry about him, Enapay. Apart from you and Delaney he has yet to make any real friends in the six months he's been assigned to us. He may be talented and intelligent, but he needs to develop relationships."

"He needs to discover what his own heart wishes, my friend," Enapay replied. "This is his father's dream come true, not Sterling's. This mission will be good for him, I think," the reptilian added. "He has learned some Div'kar. He is good with linguistics."

"He must be. It's not an easy language. Eyal, uh, Kab'ra Eyal has taught me a few words over the last few meetings we've had." If Bryson had hoped, even briefly, that his informality with the Captain of the Warship 'Yaotl' had gone unnoticed, the rattle from Enapay instantly told him it had not. As the reptilian could not smile, he gave gentle vibrations of his tail that represented soft laughter.

"Captain Eyal is quite a charismatic male and highly intelligent," Enapay observed tactfully.

Bryson could not stop his smile.

"Indeed. Now I think we need rescue Lieutenant Sterling. He can co-pilot Endeavour with you. Ambassador Calandra can be seated next to Lieutenant Commander Delaney as he will be the equivalent of her bodyguard during the negotiations."

"It was an excellent tactical manoeuvre to hold them aboard a Div'kar ship. Ambassador Calandra is sending out a powerful message that she trusts Kab'ra Eyal, as the representative of the Div'kar, to act with honour and ensure her safety. Those who still oppose the Treaty between the Div'kar Empire and the Confederation will find it difficult to interfere with the negotiations when it is their own people who will protect the two Ambassadors and work towards ensuring its success," Enapay observed to a nod of Bryson's agreement.

****

Endeavour docked uneventfully aboard Yaotl. Bryson led the way from the shuttle to be greeted by Eyal and the Div'kar Ambassador Kaamil.

"Greetings and welcome to my ship, Captain Bryson," Eyal said formally to his Human counterpart. Then with a smile he grasped Bryson's upper arms "Welcome, m'sahbak, my friend," he added warmly.

"It's good to see you again, too, m'sahbak," Bryson smiled. "Permit me to introduce my companions; Ambassador Calandra, Lieutenant Commander Enapay, Lieutenant Commander Delaney and Lieutenant Sterling."

"You are all most welcome," Eyal said. He drew his lips back to show his teeth, in the way he had learned Humans regarded as a 'smile'. "This is Ambassador Kaamil who will represent Div'kar in this historical meeting."

"I am most charmed to meet you, Ambassador Calandra," the second Div'kar stepped forward and lightly held the lone female's hand.

"Thank you," Calandra smiled. Both Div'kar were tall and powerful, with Eyal the slightly taller of the two. The trail of bone nubs that reached from between their eyes to the start of the elegant curved bone-crest atop their skulls were currently deep red. It was an indication of the high levels of excitement of the two males. Kaamil's almost silver eyes seemed to glitter at her, but she noted that Eyal's grey orbs were now on Bryson. "It's been quite a long journey. Is it possible to rest awhile before we begin our work?" she asked.

"I will take you to your quarters," Eyal said. "You will have a couple of hours to rest and refresh yourselves. I have arranged a banquet in your honour following which we will have the ceremonial display of strength."

"We have up to three weeks on board Yaotl, Ambassador," Kaamil added. "I believed it better to start fresh tomorrow than instantly launch into work."

"How wonderful," Calandra enthused. "I would be pleased if you called me Calandra when we are in private," she added.

"And I am Kaamil," the Div'kar responded.

"Excellent," Eyal spoke up, snapping his fingers in an expression of approval. "Follow me."

****

Eyal showed his guests to their various rooms leaving Bryson till last.

"This is your room," he indicated with a wave of his hand," but I thought you might spend some time with me first."

"I would be honoured," Bryson nodded, following the larger male.

Eyal opened his door and ushered Bryson inside. Once the door was shut and locked, Eyal pulled the Human to him and kissed him hungrily. Parting reluctantly, Eyal's keen, grey gaze fixed upon the softly panting man.

"A pearl beyond price," Eyal whispered, his fingers caressing the flushed face. "I've missed you, Bryson." Eyal began rapidly stripping the clothes from his lover. He lavished kisses on each piece of skin as it was revealed. All the time, the Div'kar pressed Bryson deeper into his quarters and finally onto his bed.

Bryson willingly allowed the attention, revelling in it, wishing it could be more than just two warriors sharing pleasure together. He squirmed helplessly as large hands ghosted across his chest, pausing to tickle the dark hair. Knowledgeable fingers tweaked his nipples and he groaned needily.

Eyal started feathering kisses at Bryson's neck and his elongated tongue dropped to rasp against Bryson's Adam's apple before he sucked lightly, careful not to mark. From there to the begging nipples, biting, sucking, licking until each bud was hard and throbbing and his lover was making desperate sounds of need and want. He positioned Bryson in the centre of the bed and then took hard flesh fully into his mouth. Eyal worked the foreskin back and forth, making Bryson squirm and ball his fists into the bedclothes. The smaller Human was panting and thrashing beneath him, exciting the Div'kar even further. Eyal used his free hand to seek out his lover's sac, palming the precious orbs, rolling them gently.

Bryson's hands petted any part of the bigger male they could reach, focusing primarily on the raised bone-crest that was a highly erogenous zone for Div'kar. When Eyal sucked him deep, Bryson's fingers dug into the powerful male's biceps and when he slid back, tonguing his slit, Bryson drew abstract patterns across the sensitive bone-crest.

Increasing his suckling, Eyal rolled his tongue over the slick, flared crown. He then encircled the hot organ with his agile muscle sliding up and down to increasingly impassioned cries. He reached to stroke the soft skin behind Bryson's sac and, swallowing the erect flesh to the root, his throat performed the rippling motion against which the Div'kar knew his Human had no resistance. That was the final catalyst. Bryson cried Eyal's name softly and spurted into his mouth as the Div'kar milked him of all he could produce. Eyal draped his larger body over the smaller form and nuzzled into Bryson's neck.

Gradually Bryson became coherent and smiled at the bigger male. He stared up at the Div'kar before his mouth was captured and plundered. He watched entranced as Eyal revealed his sculptured physique. There was not an ounce of surplus fat; the Div'kar was all solid muscle. His twin nipples were hard and flushed and both penises pointed unerringly at their desired destination. Bryson opened his legs wider, offering himself to the alpha male. Eyal's mouth descended on his and their tongues mated and retreated. Bryson felt the slick finger breach him, but he was so relaxed from the intense orgasm there was no discomfort.

Eyal gently eased a finger into his Human, caressing him internally. He rumbled approvingly at the tightness and heat surrounding him. It had been too long for his liking.

"Bryson, I want you," he husked, thrusting a second then a third finger deep within the wantonly spread Human.

"Then take me," Bryson moaned. The fingers were a delicious torment, flicking over his prostate with a lightness that was just a precursor of what he could expect. He rolled onto all-fours giving the Div'kar a sultry look from over his shoulder.

Eyal gave a low, feral growl in response. His Human wanted to be taken and he would honour that desire with all the passion he possessed. He coated his lower penis with lubricant, never taking his eyes from the prepared portal, and with one gentle, insistent push buried the head deeply inside his lover and Bryson sighed in completion. He felt Bryson contract his muscles around him and have a hiss of pleasure from between clenched teeth. His mate repeated the action and Eyal made another feral sound deep in his throat and pushed deeper into Bryson.

His Human moaned and thrust backwards. Each time Eyal pushed forward, Bryson responded eagerly and pushed back. Eyal used his strength to snug his lover against his powerful thighs. He stretched over the rippling back and began thrusting deeply. He could feel the shivers that raced through his Human's smaller body. Eyal changed the angle of his penetration and Bryson shuddered and jolted as if struck by repeated electrical discharges. Reaching around a hip, Eyal found Bryson's straining flesh, now almost fully resurgent with the pounding of his prostate. He stroked along the length, keeping time with his rhythm, his hand slickening the hot organ with lubricant. He pushed into Bryson twice more and came in a rush, his seed pumping deeply into his lover's body.

Eyal eased from heated depths and laid his lover on his back. He straddled his Human, his own opening flexing in anticipation. In one controlled manoeuvre he sank down onto the prepared rod and gave a low groan of appreciation. He only needed to make the smallest of gyrations to ensure his twin glands were stimulated by his lover's shaft. His own channel performing a ripple-cum-contracting action he knew Bryson would find immeasurably pleasurable. He grinned down at the smaller man.

Bryson's dark hair, with its flecks of gray at the temples, was in disarray and sweat-slicked to his flushed face. The lightly-furred chest was damp and Eyal swooped forward to lick at a salty bead that glistened on his lover's jaw. He rubbed his hands over the planes of Bryson's chest, thumbing and rolling erect nipples. He growled his approval as his Human reached to pluck at his twin nubs and slid a hand to cup his half-spent sac and stroke along his still erect upper-penis.

"Come, Bryson. Ta'la ma'i, come with me," Eyal urged as he reached his second zenith.

With a moan of Eyal's name, Bryson obeyed the Div'kar, his semen erupting into the welcoming channel. He felt the hot splashes of his lover's come that branded across his chest in thick strands. He panted harshly, watching as the Div'kar eased from his sated shaft and groaned as a long, hot tongue swept imperiously over his flesh.

"I have tired you, Bryson," Eyal stated, smiling triumphantly.

"Exhausted more like," Bryson smiled back. He gave a wordless murmur of appreciation as he was enfolded to lie in Eyal's arms.

Eyal waited until certain his Human was asleep before kissing Bryson tenderly.

"Onan is very angered with me," he whispered, safe in the knowledge Bryson could not hear. "He says I have not acted honourably with you, but I did not wish to take the chance of that I would lose even this little that I have of you. When the talks between the Ambassadors conclude, then we must speak. If only you knew just how you hold my heart in your hand, m'hab'bi, my beloved."

****

Looking around the circle of Div'kar from his elevated position alongside Eyal, Calandra and Kaamil, Bryson could see that, while some looked a little confused, most of the gathered Dj'ndi glared derisively at his choice of champion. These Warriors had probably expected Delaney to be his choice. He also noticed some of those hostile looks flickering briefly in Eyal's direction. However, either Eyal was oblivious to them or unmoved by them as he sat his eyes gazing proudly on the Dj'ndi standing in the centre of the circle.

Onan was Eyal's younger brother and one of his Lieutenants. The Div'kar warrior stood stripped to the waist, his powerful body oiled and glistening so that every movement of muscle seemed emphasised. He twirled the sta'yv in his hand with arrogant ease. The original sta'yv had been a thick, heavy, wooden shaft over six feet in length. The modern version was two feet of strong, lightweight metal with a trigger switch in the centre. That extended it by a further two feet each side as it released two thinner shafts of the same silver metal. At its extended length it was just a couple of inches shorter than the male who handled it so deftly.

"Not everyone approves of our choice of challenger," Bryson observed quietly.

"I am aware of Sterling's capabilities, m'sahbak," Eyal murmured, his eyes not leaving the circle before them. "They will learn that I have reason for agreeing with this choice."

He glanced at the challenger selected. Sterling looked boyish in comparison to the Div'kar before him and the sta'yv was taller than him by a few inches. Eyal ignored the occasional high-pitched hisses, signs of disapproval, as the two men bowed and struck the initial pose ready to commence their mock-battle. He stood and both turned towards him.

"Za'hur Onan, Lieutenant Sterling, I expect great things from you both. Let battle commence."

The men nodded and resumed staring at each other, their sta'yvs raised high. At a shout from Eyal, their contest began.

Onan's movements reflected his power while Sterling relied on speed and agility. Both methods of fighting created a fast-paced display of strength and dexterity. Despite their focus on each other's moves, they were both aware that the high-pitched hisses slowly but surely dropped in timbre to a low rumble of appreciation. In addition, snapping fingers accompanied a particularly adept or complex series of movements.

"They're warming to them," Bryson whispered.

"As I knew they would," Eyal replied. "I am also an Am'yr and Ka'sar, Bryson. One does not become a family head and caste ruler by luck. I am in charge of many families that make up our caste. We were the biggest supporters of entering into an Alliance with your Confederation. That was an unpopular decision, too. However I fully expect to be proved as right with that choice as with this." He flashed his teeth briefly at Bryson. Such displays aroused him and he hoped to spend more time with his desirable Human before such mundane things as trade negotiations dulled his day.

Onan was thoroughly enjoying himself. He had worked out with the blond and liked being in Sterling's company. The Human wielded a sta'yv almost as if born to it, better than some Div'kar. He hoped to spend a lot more time with him. He swivelled around, aiming his sta'yv at a level between his opponent's elbow and shoulder. The blow was one that he knew Sterling would easily parry. However, as he completed his turn, his eyes locked with the shocked gaze of the Human just seconds before his sta'yv connected heavily with the blond's temple.

Sterling felt exhilaration course through him as he spun and parried adroitly. A thin sheen of sweat now glistened on his torso, but with Onan's body oiled, it was impossible to tell if the Div'kar had yet to reach that stage. He recognised the manoeuvre that Onan was about to attempt and he began to raise his sta'yv to parry the blow when a shocked sound distracted him.

A Dj'ndi staggered to his knees in front of Sterling, inadvertently grabbing at the only thing that might have stopped his unexpected fall, Sterling's sta'yv. The blond could not stop himself being pulled forwards and down as he retained his grip on the weapon. He began to turn, just as Onan's sta'yv swung around and he saw stars as it connected soundly with his unprotected skull.

"Sterling!" Onan's distress cry escaped his lips before he could censure it. He ignored the stares he knew would accompany his gathering the dazed blond into his lap. Let them stare. He would not forgive himself if he had badly injured the young Human.

"Take him to our medical quarters, Onan," Eyal directed, nodding his approval as his brother immediately obeyed. He was not surprised to see that both Bryson and Enapay went with them. "How did this happen?" Eyal growled, moving menacingly towards the Dj'ndi who had struggled to his feet.

"I was leaning forward to see better," Kab'ra Eyal," the Dj'ndi explained, instantly dropping to one knee and dipping his head in a gesture of submission. "I felt a hand at my back and I was propelled forward. I meant no harm to the Human, I swear."

Eyal glowered at the Dj'ndi. The powerful body was bent in a deferential position, the Warrior clearly waiting for Eyal's pronunciation. He tapped a shoulder and bent to whisper in the Dj'ndi's ear.

"You will go to our medical quarters and apologise to the Human. I put his safety aboard Yaotl in your hands. You will speak of this to no one." He stepped away from the shoulder and clapped his hands once. The Dj'ndi bowed and laid a fist against his chest before rushing to obey the man who was not only his Kab'ra but Ka'sar. He and his family would now consider themselves to be forever in his debt.

****

Sterling groaned softly as he tried to sit up and greet the Dj'ndi that Onan had allowed to approach him. He had been given pain relief by the Div'kar physician, but it had yet to take full effect.

"Za'hur Sterling, I owe you a great apology."

"It was an accident," Sterling smiled. "But apology accepted."

The Dj'ndi glanced at his own Za'hur and Onan gave a slight jerk of his head. It was clearly accepted that the young Human should think the incident accidental. He stepped backwards to the other Div'kar.

"Is that all Kab'ra Eyal asked of you, Adohi?" Onan murmured as Bryson and Enapay gathered around the blond.

"That and to keep watch on the young Human." Adohi replied equally quietly.

"Good," Onan replied. "Discreet," he added.

"Yes, m'Za'hur," Adohi bowed as he laid his fist against his chest.

****

Sterling headed towards his rendezvous with Onan. Almost a week had gone by and the negotiations were going well and all was relaxed aboard Yaotl. During that time he had spent some time every day with the Div'kar. He enjoyed their time whether it was working or regular off-duty relaxation. Tonight Onan had told Sterling he had a gift for him. The thought had tingles dancing through his lithe frame.