Author's note: I was able to finish editing this chapter tonight. I do not know when I will be able to post the next chapter, but it will not be too much of a delay. For those who have been wondering about the length of the story, requesting I not leave my readers hanging and worrying that I will not complete the story, I want to assure you all that there should be at least fifteen chapters total and I am currently in the rough draft of chapter ten. I hope that removes any concerns.
I will update again when I can. Thank you all for reading and commenting.
Liam checked his chronometer. He was tired, but not particularly sleepy. He'd spent time on a variety of worlds with different cycles. Some had short days and others had incredibly long ones. It always took time for him to adjust. His internal clock was telling him the night ought to be ending, but it clearly wasn't. The strange double moons hung in the sky and the forest sounds held steady.
It was more than strange to him that only a day ago he had been at war with the three beings he now depended on for survival. It was true that they also depended on him, but that made it no less strange. He'd gone from trying to kill them to actually having sex with one of them. And he had liked it! Actually liked it! He shook his head.
"And you were ready to fuck the commander a while ago, too," he murmured to himself. He snorted at his predicament and the bizarre thoughts going through his head. "What will your folks think? Hell, what will your friends think? Shit, mom and dad will probably get over the shock in a few years and your friends will all think you're the baddest motherfucker in the galaxy."
He was still chuckling at himself when a shadow lunged up onto the giant log they were calling home. Liam reacted instantly, bringing up the fero-plas rifle and rising to his knee in a single smooth motion, the reaction of a veteran. The creature, roughly the size of a very large dog, paid him no mind at all. Instead it sniffed around the dead fire until it came to the remains of the meat on the spit. In a quick motion it snapped up everything, meat sticks and all, swallowed it and then was off into the forest again.
Liam's heart was still thumping in his chest when a cry of alarm sounded from the lower entrance. A fero-plas pistol cracked. Clotilda was in danger!
Liam turned and sprinted through the darkness of the hollowed out tree. By the time he got to where the nests were laid the two females were wide awake with weapons in their hands.
"I'll go to her!" he shouted on his way through. "Watch the other end!"
He did not wait for them to reply. He leapt the bedding and landed nearly at the lower opening due mostly to the downhill slope of the tree. His boot clamps automatically activated and he nearly killed himself as he tumbled head first, the clamps tearing great patches of wood from the rotted surface.
Liam tucked and rolled instinctively, ending his precipitous descent when he slammed into the flank of some kind of large animal. It snarled a startled protest, scrambled back to its feet and sprang away into the underbrush. A fero-plas pistol cracked menacingly nearby and another animal howled in pain. Liam came up into a fighting crouch and scanned about him in the darkness. Under the dense canopy of leaves there was not enough light for him to see and belatedly he thought to switch on his lowlight vision scope. It instantly revealed a scene from a nightmare.
Clotilda stood with her back to the entrance, her pistol at the ready. In front of her lay a creature like a bizarre mix of hyena and frog, thrashing through its death throes. Three more of the deadly looking beasts circled warily close by. One had turned on Liam, apparently unsettled by his sudden appearance. Liam didn't hesitate. He leveled his rifle and let fly a deadly bolt of charged fero-plastic. The weapon bucked hard against his shoulder and the creature's head snapped back, a smoking crater where its face had been. Clotilda fired another round into the chest of one of the remaining animals and Liam was lining up his next shot when the animal turned and darted into the night. But the excitement wasn't over yet.
From inside the tree sounded the boom of another fero-plas rifle. Liam turned and charged back into the tree, his lowlight scope showing him the two injured jZav'Etch laying prone, aiming their weapons up at the top of the tunnel. There a large body lay, limbs thrashing as it died. More creatures were outside and it was obvious they wanted in. From above his head came a sound as of taloned feet rapidly swarming over the outer trunk.
"We will hold them here," Commander M'pel E'kmel said urgently. "Defend the lower entrance! Hurry!"
Liam bounded away once more. The two jZav'Etch were well placed to hold off any attack the creatures might make, but Clotilda was alone and exposed. Even as he came out of the tree he saw a blocky, fanged head dipping down, its nose questing for the unsuspecting Pah'Tht. Liam shouted a warning and jammed the muzzle of his rifle into the beast's throat then pulled the trigger. The top of the creature's head vaporized into a glowing mist and the lifeless body tumbled to the earth. Clotilda had spun at Liam's warning. She now raised her weapon and fired. Another creature dropped next to its fellow. More bestial screams shook the night and more shots rang from within the tree.
Without thinking, Liam grabbed a handhold and began hoisting himself up onto the dead trunk. He came face to face with one of the animals and both froze for an instant. It cost the creature its life as Liam let loose another shot from his rifle at point blank range. The recoil was enough to throw the weapon from his one-handed grip, but he didn't wait to recover it. Up onto the tree he climbed and drew his pistols, thumbing their selectors over to wadcutter. Boot clamps biting chunks from the long dead bark, Liam advanced on the pack of animals. His EP 12's barked and creatures died, their bones and flesh torn apart by flat-nosed rounds. By the time he reached the upper entrance those that remained fled into the night, frightened and defeated. The stink of blood and offal hung in the air and Liam roared defiance at the sky.
"That's right you sorry sons of bitches!" he bellowed at the top of his lungs. "We ain't going down that easy! Come back for more! We'll be waiting! We'll be right here, motherfuckers!"
Behind him he heard Clotilda scream triumphantly in response to his words and from within the tree the wounded jZav'Etch added their voices.
Liam stood atop the log, adrenaline still pumping in his veins. He surveyed the area with all his sensors for several minutes. Many animals crouched in the darkness and many seemed interested in the carcasses of the fallen, but they smelled him and his mates and would not risk encroaching on his territory. Food could be gotten elsewhere at a less costly price.
Finally, when he was sure no other animal would dare come for them, Liam climbed down from the trunk and found Clotilda just inside the tree with her pistol still held ready to defend them. She grinned a fierce grin and purred when she saw him.
"Take!" she cried and leaped into his arms, nipping at his chin and wrapping her legs around his waist.
Liam staggered back a step and hugged her, glad to be alive and elated to be victorious. He kissed her fiercely, there was nothing like victory to inspirit a man and Liam desperately wanted to take Clotilda right there, but it was far too dangerous. He had to be sure they would all be safe throughout the night. Gently he pushed her back, set her on the ground and gave her another passion laden kiss.
"We can't," he said, breaking the kiss. "Dangerous."
Instantly she looked around and took hold of her weapon again.
"Predator," she said seriously and thumped her chest.
"Watch," he said and she nodded her assent.
Inside he found the two injured females laying where they had been and they grinned welcomingly as he approached. To his utter astonishment Tem'Ma'tel lay naked from the waist down and when he was nearer she rose onto her hands and knees, flicked her long tail up and said, "Take!"
Liam barked out a laugh and looked to M'pel E'kmel. She chuckled at him.
"Commander," he said, gesturing at Tem'Ma'tel. "It's too dangerous for me to do that."
"I know and so does she," M'pel E'kmel replied, still grinning. "She makes a traditional offer out of respect and... for other reasons. I would have also, but I am not so bound by my hormones."
He laughed at her boldness and shook his head. "Will she try to kill me if I don't accept?"
"Of course not," M'pel E'kmel said laughing. "Her offer is not meant to be taken seriously, Sergeant. Besides, she understands you must return to your watch. I think, though, you will find her more willing when the time is right."
"Damn," he said softly and grinned down on the still posing Tem'Ma'tel. His gaze lingered on her firm, round ass and he sighed, "I'm a lucky man."
"You know," M'pel E'kmel said teasingly. "If there were secure doors on this tree you could have whatever you liked."
"Doors?" he laughed. "Doors I will get to in the morning."
With that he leaned down and pinched Tem'Ma'tel on the rump causing her to yip, girlishly delighted. He felt her slap his butt as he strode purposefully to the upper opening. Once there he set about dragging the dead creatures out of his way, making their carcasses into a sort of barricade. If anything else came to attack them in the night, he would have some protection, at least.
Hours passed and nothing approached. Liam was still feeling good, but he was growing very tired from all his recent exertions. He was wondering how long it would be until dawn when Commander M'pel E'kmel joined him. She leaned heavily on the wall as she walked, but with his lowlight scope he could see that her leg was not troubling her nearly as much as it had been earlier. She was healing fast.
"Between that meat and the pain suppressors I am feeling much more myself, Sergeant," she said, stopping next to him. "Go and get some sleep. I will watch until you are ready to start working on the doors."
"Is that a hint, Commander?" he asked wryly.
"It is," she said, a merry gleam in her eyes. "It's also what I would council you to do."
"In that case," he said rising. "I will go and get some sleep."
"That's if Clot'ilda will let you," she said with a broad, knowing smile.
Liam left her the rifle and made his way down into the tree. At the lower opening he saw Clotilda and Tem'Ma'tel deep in conversation. They glanced his way and then turned back to each other. It sounded to Liam as though they were snickering.
He powered down his sensors, pulled off his armor and boots and lay down on the mat of leaves and twigs, sighing with relief. It had been too long of a day, and he was just as glad to have some peace and quiet. Only moments after he lay his head down he was fast asleep.
~)0(~
"
You could go to him now
," Clot'ilda said, happily.
"
He sleeps
!" protested Tem'Ma'tel. "
My leg is not healed. And he has not formally made Ka' chasck
."
The two females had been discussing SarJ'ant for quite some time, since shortly after the creatures had attacked their camp, in fact. Both had been far too excited by the fight to rest and Tem'Ma'tel had taken the opportunity to speak with Clot'ilda about him.
"
You could be careful
," suggested the little Pah'Tht. "
And you could offer Chisq' Kah'
."
"
I am unfit, and it would be wrong of me to offer Chisq' Kah' until I could fully participate
," Tem'Ma'el countered. "
And it would give him the wrong idea. He must make Ka' chasck
."
Clot'ilda wanted to argue, but what her friend said was true. Until Tem'Ma'tel was healed, mating had to be put off.
"
You said he is big
," Tem'Ma'tel said, leaning closer at the last word.
"
Oh! He is
!" Clot'ilda giggled, glad her friend was interested, and eager to describe the pleasure her mate had given her. "
But it is good. He is not long and there are no points on his phallus. It is smooth! It is wonderful
."
"
Smooth
?" asked Tem'Ma'tel, consumed with curiosity now that she had made her decision to accept SarJ'ant's demand as a willing mate, rather than out of necessity. "
And how big is he
