Terran Times 01 - Arena Station (7 page)

Champions of Terra - Arena Station

“You have nailed the topic right on the head, my friend. Sex it is.” Tyrell moved over to the table and sat down the empty chair. “Do you know how we found you?”

“No, I told you that.” Kyra began to blush as the possibilities ran through her head.

“A vid of two rare species coupling was released on the black market. One of the species was Azon, can you guess what the other involved party was?”

“Terran?”

“Yep, Terran. Guess which Terran in particular?” The mechanical voice did not do a good job of translating the chipper falsetto that the speaker was using, but Kyra got the hint. She was well acquainted with Amy’s sense of humour, and had no doubt that the face behind the plate was grinning like a fool.

“Me. And Tiergar. Together. On a mass-produced vid. Naked. Great.” Kyra dropped her head down into her hands and tried to think of a way to dissolve into the floor.

“Well, in a way it was great. It let us know that you were alive, and with Sarah’s help we were able to track the origin of the recording to this station. The Azon were also extremely happy to see their Ambassador alive and well, and ummm…fit.” A strange noise was emanating from the mask and Kyra slammed her hand into the table when she identified the noise as laughter.

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“Wait…did you say Ambassador?”

“Yep, Ambassador Tiergar vi Ranith, Fourth Representative of the Azon Monarchy, and future Councillor to the Alliance of Sentient and Federated Planets.” Tyrell tilted her head and looked closely at Kyra.

“You can imagine that the Azon were a little startled to see that their Ambassador was mating with a previously unknown species. The fact that you took him without too much difficulty was apparently a miracle in itself. It caused great controversy. The Azon are always on the lookout for new species to breed with, they have a sadly unbalanced birthrate. Five males to every female.”

Kyra gulped at the tea. Then coughed and sputtered as the last few drops went down the wrong way. She was beginning to get a suspicious feeling about where her friends’ conversation was heading.

“Breed with? As in having tiny little people who will grow into larger ones?”

“They are called kids, Kyra.” The dry note was back in the hollow voice. “Children. Offspring.

You get the idea. You, my friend, are going to have the honour of being host to the first Azon-Terran hybrid. That is, if you get pregnant in the next five years.”

“What…?” Kyra’s voice was a horrified whisper.

“The Azon government has petitioned the 40

Champions of Terra - Arena Station
Alliance for your co-operation as the first human to successfully couple with one of their species. As you are no longer a representative of the planet Earth you fall under the aegis of the Alliance. They agreed to hand you over.” Tyrell looked over at the teacup in Kyra’s hand.

“Damn, I miss eating and drinking.” An armoured fist came to prop up the faceplate. A heavy sigh emanated from the negotiator.

“You mean that they just handed me over?

They made me a sex-slave to the Azon? I thought slavery was not tolerated by the Alliance.” Kyra grasped at straws as her mind grappled with the import of the information she had just been given.

“No, of course not. That is why I was called in.

Apparently, since we are the same species they thought I would have an idea of what it would take to make you happy. I have been in negotiations with the Azon reps since we had the location of you and Tiergar pinned down. It was one helluva trip. You’ll only have to mate with one Azon, you will receive property and a regular stipend per annum, and any children you bear will have full citizenship to the Alliance as well as be registered citizens of Azon. No matter whose genetics win out in the pregnancy lottery.”

“So, do I get to pick the guy who knocks me up?”

“Within certain limits. The choices were made as soon as you cleared the medical exam after we 41

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landed and took over.” Tyrell patted Kyra’s hand.

“Don’t worry, I have it on good authority that the matches chosen are a match to complement your DNA and your personality. One candidate will meet you when we get to the Neelin Station, the other four when you get to Azon. You will then be expected to make your choice.”

“You are lucky that the Azon were willing to allow you multiple choices, but apparently that is the standard mating agreement for their females.

It did not strike them as odd to have you do the choosing either. If you can get your nerve up, you might want to try a few of them on for size before you make your choice.” Her voice was once again amused and she patted Kyra’s hand where it now lay limply on the table.

“You’ll be leaving in six hours on board the P‘tal.” Tyrell stood and headed for the door.

“You’d better pack.”

Kyra sprinted back to the women’s barracks and grabbed her supply of bodysuits that were all the management provided for the fighters. Tory had left the day before and was on her way back to the colony from which she had been taken by raiders. With a hug and a promise to communicate by whatever means they could, the girls parted.

Kyra downloaded her credit information and shifted it onto a transfer card. Scanning her bunk area for anything left over, she turned and left the barracks for the last time.

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Champions of Terra - Arena Station

* * * *

She was assigned quarters on the warship, grateful that her roommate was in service on the ship and therefore was not often in the room. Her buddy, the negotiator, would contact her before they reached the transfer station with the name of the first candidate to be her new mate. She was expected to go without a fuss.

After regaining her equilibrium, she joined the others in the common room. One hundred and fifty fighters out of the six hundred at the arena were on board.

When she entered the room there were about half of the rescued personnel in it, some sitting quietly, some in conversational groups. She scanned for familiar faces and was stunned to see Tiergar talking to another Azon. His conversational partner was obviously a member of the ship’s crew and just as obviously impressed by Tiergar.

She stood observing him for a moment, remembered heat rushing through her before she shook herself mentally and physically. She was unaware of the golden eyes that found her as she turned to stand in line at the food kiosk.

“So as I was saying Ambassador Ranith, no expense was spared to locate you and bring you home alive and well. Your disappearance was 43

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distressing to the entire planet…” Malik continued on as Tiergar let his attention drift to the long blonde hair over the pert backside he so enjoyed.

“If you will excuse me Malik, I believe I see someone I know.” He gave the crewman a small nod and crossed the room to stand behind Kyra.

At this close range he caught her scent, light and sweet, it sent a wave heat to his loins. His aroused flesh began to press uncomfortably against his clothing and he was astonished at his reaction to the little alien. He had never responded this strongly to a female in his life, not even in the full force of the m’daken when the urge to fuck was almost enough to drive him mad.

Kyra breathed in and caught a taste of Tiergar’s scent, but for her senses to smell him he had to be right behind her. Slowly, she turned and looked up at his grinning countenance as her heart beat faster. She felt her thighs clench and made a Herculean effort to appear unruffled.

“Hello Tiergar, nice to know you made it out.”

She kept her voice friendly and polite, though what she really wanted to do was burrow her face in his neck and breathe in his comforting scent while her arms wrapped around him. God, he was still so sexy she couldn’t believe it. “Or should I address you as Ambassador Ranith?”

“Kyra,” her name was a caress, “I hardly recognized you with clothing on.” A wicked grin rode delightfully on his features when she blushed 44

Champions of Terra - Arena Station
crimson. “Tiergar is fine.”

“Yes, well, I have to be going. Nice seeing you.”

She ducked her head and ran for the exit.