She’d said she’d never leave him again, and he hoped she meant it. But he couldn’t help but feel a small amount of doubt.

  He sure as hell would never leave her, she was his for as long as she wished to be.

  He pushed her off and grabbed her waist, and pulled her up on her hands and knees as he moved behind her and speared into her still trembling body from behind. Then he started to fuck her hard and fast, giving into the beast inside of him seemed okay now that she wanted him too. He claimed her with a savage intensity.

  “What are you,” he demanded.

  She gasped, “I’m yours. Everything I am.”

  He said, “I love you.”

  It seemed almost insane to say that, while he slammed into her hard, and spanked her ass. He claimed her hard and fast, took her with abandon. Still, it was the truth, he did love her.

  She started to buck back against him hard, fucking herself back onto him wantonly, making their bodies slap loudly together.

  “Fuck me harder, fill me Mike. I’m your lady, and your slut, take me. Fuck!”

  She gasped and cut off as she once again reached ecstatic bliss, and her pussy tightened around him, and his balls started to boil.

  “Here it comes.”

  She convulsed around and milked his cock as he buried himself deeply inside, and blissful pleasure wracked his body and mind as his seed shot into her waiting womb.

  He gripped her waist firmly and pulled back, while he pushed forward, almost as if he was desperate to get even deeper as he claimed her as his once again.

  He caressed her back, and then her slightly red ass from the spanking, with soft brushes of his fingertips as they came down together. He pulled out, and collapsed next to her, and she cuddled into his side.

  He reached up and wiped the tears away.

  “Are you okay? Was I too rough?”

  She giggled, and sniffled, “No… that was… amazing as usual. I love when you take me, I love when you lose control and rut me, you know that. These aren’t sad tears, I was scared you wouldn’t take me back. These are happy relief tears.”

  He caressed her face, and kissed her nose.

  “I love you, and you’ll be mine for as long as you wish it so. I told you before, only betrayal could change that.”

  She kissed him softly, “I want to come home. I missed you, Chrystal, and Alyndra so much.”

  He thought about that for a moment, they were in the middle of a war.

  “How about I make another android on the ship.”

  She shook her head stubbornly, “No. I know you want to protect me but that won’t work. I can’t spend my days logged into Xaran, and then my evening, nights, and mornings logged into another one on your ship. My real body would atrophy from lack of use. I want to come back.”

  He sighed, since he couldn’t argue that point.

  She really would need to workout, eat, and be in her body most of the time. She wasn’t a patient that would be in a medical pod that took care of all that stuff for her, and he couldn’t blame her for wanting her real body with the people she loved.

  Plus, he still had her backups which could be brought up to date, even if the ship was destroyed, he wouldn’t lose her. No, it would be Alyndra and Dahlia that he lost.

  “Alright love, you’re right. I just worry about you, and hadn’t fully thought things through. I’ll have Chrystal send a scout to the space port, and she’ll let you know when it will be there.”

  She smiled impishly and said, “I win?”

  He snorted, but nodded.

  She grinned and kissed him teasingly, and then nipped his bottom lip, before she started to kiss her way down his body.

  He moaned at the feel of her mouth around him, as she licked and sucked their combined juices off of his rapidly growing cock.

  “That feels so good beautiful.”

  She started to stroke it slowly as she popped her mouth off.

  “You should probably let Alyndra know your afternoon game will be late, you still have two more holes to reclaim. I very much want to be completely yours again.”

  His cock twitched in her hand at her sultry words, and she giggled a bit naughtily as she wrapped her lips around him, before taking him deep into her mouth and throat…

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chrystal said, “She should be here in a couple of days. She’s spending the rest of today packing and spending time with her family tonight, then it’ll take about forty hours for the trip with a small detour to muddy her arrival vector. So, midmorning the day after tomorrow.”

  They were in the arboretum, and he was having his usual chess game with Alyndra, though with a late start. Today was also one of the days Chrystal had joined them, mostly to hear about how things went with Nadia.

  Nadia had been very wild, and completely insatiable in her desire to reconnect in every way. Her submission to him had been very aggressive, a paradox perhaps, but the only way he could describe it. She was passionate, loving, and had no reservations about giving herself to him totally, in every way. Not just carnally, but heart and soul.

  Alyndra smiled faintly, “So what happened, did you tie her down and fuck her until she was yours again?”

  He stared at her for a moment, shocked. Alyndra didn’t joke very often, and when she did it always took him by surprise. Especially with her expressionless visage.

  Then he laughed and said, “It’s really hard to tell when your joking, did you know that? No, apparently she missed us enough that it pushed her to find a job where she could be useful, but also could be with us.”

  Alyndra winked, but it looked a little unnatural. She’d begun to try to compensate for us not hearing her thoughts, but the mannerisms weren’t natural for her to pull off, maybe it was the lack of micro-expression along with the larger facial expressions she’d started to emulate. Micro-expressions were something that came from instinct, not willful practice. Regardless, it was sweet of her to make an effort and he loved her for it.

  “It will be nice to have her back.”

  Chrystal agreed, and so did he for that matter.

  “Have you thought about how you’re going to approach Shirilla? Only four worlds left to free.”

  He nodded, it wasn’t lost on him that Nadia was returning on the morning where hostilities might break out between them and the Canosians.

  “It depends on Shirilla’s answer when we tell her we want to quarantine. I was planning to just be blunt and straight forward in telling her our plans. She hasn’t encouraged any kind of exchange between us, so I figured keeping it simple and without subtlety that could be misconstrued, would be the best course.”

  He frowned in thought, “If she attacks for any reason, we’ll defend ourselves. If she simply says that isn’t acceptable to the Canosians, we’ll withdraw and watch. I’m still hoping she’ll go along with it, the other two options are more precipitous. I really don’t want to start another war.”

  Alyndra moved her pawn, which made him reevaluate all his plans.

  She asked, “Have you considered just leaving?”

  He raised an eyebrow.

  Alyndra said, “After we free the last four planets, we could just leave, and let her deal with the core worlds how she sees fit, it will accomplish our goal of safeguarding life on the food planets, and minimize the risk of war. Then let the decision be made by her success or failure. If she fails, we move in to quarantine, if she succeeds, then we won’t have taken part in their annihilation even if she is deceptive about her intentions.”

  He blew out a breath, “I don’t know if I agree with that. A choice not to act is still a choice. What if she would have agreed to our plan, then by not even asking we’d have contributed to their genocide. We could retreat if she attacks, though I don’t like that option either.”

  Alyndra asked, “And if we fight and more of them come looking for us?”

  He shrugged, “The universe is a big place. We only found the Kascorix because we got their database. Besides, just running could still be a gamble, they might decide to hunt us down for cowardice? Who knows. I guess I’m taking the position that if we’re going to be damned, we should be damned for following our beliefs, not compromising them.”

  Chrystal asked, “So compromise is bad?”

  He frowned, and felt a little ganged up on.

  “No, as long as it doesn’t violate our moral beliefs, compromise and understanding of other cultures is what makes alien neighbors allies. But since we don’t know enough about them to strike a compromise we can both live with, we shouldn’t guess at it.”

  Chrystal sighed, “I guess you’re right. We don’t have enough information to act appropriately, or at least, as appropriately as our conscience would allow with this race.”

  He wasn’t sure he was right, that was the problem. Maybe Alyndra’s solution would be best, but there was no way to know. Running didn’t seem right though, not when there was a chance it could all work out.

  Maybe…

  Later on…

  Nadia giggled, “I think we broke him Chrys.”

  Chrystal snickered and looked over at him.

  Back in reality, he was snuggled with in bed with Chrystal and Alyndra. Alyndra was asleep, and he and Chrystal had invited Nadia, who was on a scout ship on route to Andromeda, to crash their usual virtual date.

  They were on Earth, in the Caribbean on a small one cabin sail boat. The sun was shining in the sky, and he could smell and taste the salt water, and feel the spray against his skin. He wasn’t quite drooling, but he was trying to be quiet and unobtrusive as he watched the show.

  Both Chrystal and Nadia were in bikinis, Nadia’s was red, and Chrystal’s white. They looked incredibly beautiful, sexy, and alluring. Of course, they’d also been kissing and exploring each other’s bodies right in front of him. They’d missed each other as much as he’d missed Nadia and she’d missed him.

  “Don’t let me interrupt, you were just getting reacquainted.”

  Nadia rolled her eyes, “Men are perverts.”

  He nodded easily in agreement, “I’m your pervert though.”

  She snickered, “So you like to watch us?”

  He replied, “You know I do, I have a dick after all.”

  Chrystal giggled and playfully waggled her eyebrows, “Yes you do.”

  “You both look incredibly beautiful together, it boggles my mind that you’re both mine.”

  It really did, he was a lucky man, and he had another beautiful woman back in reality sleeping in his arms. He’d try not to ever take them for granted, which was why the dates, but he knew the one thing he’d never have to worry about is neglecting his duties to them. They would always know they were beautiful and desired.

  Nadia and Chrystal exchanged looks and then descended on him each taking a side.

  He didn’t argue, as they passed his lips back and forth, and kissed him softly and passionately.

  Nadia said, “At least he’s a sweet pervert.”

  Chrystal asked, “Do you want to go diving? That was our plan earlier, but we can change them.”

  Nadia smiled, “That sounds good.”

  Nadia slid off the seat, and crawled around him and between Chrystal’s legs. She slid her hands up Chrystal’s thighs, and then pulled her bikini to the side.

  “Diving sounds fun.”

  Then she leaned forward and gently licked and started to explore Chrystal’s folds teasingly.

  Chrystal wrapped her fingers in Nadia’s hair and gasped.

  “That wasn’t what I… wasn’t what I meant… oh fuck! That’s so good.”

  Nadia slipped a couple of fingers inside Chrystal drawing a gasp from her lips, and looked up at Mike, he’d just been watching so far and enjoying the view.

  “You can watch from behind me love.”

  He smiled, and slid off the seat…

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  It was midmorning two days later while Mike stared at the holo-image above the table on the bridge of the vessel.

  He had his doubts, about all of it, coming here, the idea to quarantine the Kascorix race, how he would deal with the Canosians, and all the other issues that had come up. He’d felt like he’d had to act, and defend his home and his people, and this had seemed like the best way to do so. Not acting wasn’t an option for him, but he always wondered how much of his motivation was reasoned response to a threat, and how much was the emotional disgust, anger, and hatred that he felt for the Kascorix and their way of life.

  His one true comfort in this regard was Chrystal, she wasn’t motivated by those same emotions and had not refused an order or disagreed with his actions so far. Still, just because he was justified for the right reasons, didn’t mean that his emotions, the wrong reasons, didn’t count in his own heart.

  Chrystal was creating the last destroyer to sit watch over the last planet below, while he watched the Mirosians once again, for the last time, take to the ground to destroy the Kascorix guard and free the indigenous intelligent species.

  There had been losses over the last few months, a little over ten percent. There were only eight thousand nine hundred and forty-three Mirosians left. That seemed like a lot to him, but studying the history of war he knew ten percent casualties in just one battle would be considered an acceptable cost, they’d lost ten percent in a whole campaign of a hundred ground battles.

  While he felt responsible for those deaths to an extent since it was his campaign, he also knew his insistence on upgrading their power sources had saved many of them, they’d have all died within ten worlds without it. He also understood it was their own choice, he wasn’t truly responsible, he just felt that way. The Mirosians were a fierce people who wouldn’t turn down a battle for a just cause such as the one they fought.

  The battles at the thirty-two sites on the planet below were short and fierce, the Mirosians and their armor far more formidable than the defenders.

  Chrystal said, “The destroyer is finished, I’m starting on the eco-system on the planet. Nadia should be here shortly. Just a minute or so actually.”

  He nodded.

  “I’ll wait until things are wrapped up before contacting the Canosians.”

  The fifty ships were vulnerable inside the atmosphere, although they could get out quickly enough, the Canosians had pulled back as usual, far enough from the planet to ensure that. He thought it was better not to risk it. Besides, if there was a battle he didn’t want Nadia out there alone on a scout ship.

  Chrystal said, “Our battle ship has arrived, and is docking with this ship.”

  The battle ship they’d left behind at the beginning of the campaign, at the first world, would take most of the Mirosians away since there would be no further ground battles. Enough were staying behind to fly and shoot the cruisers in the upcoming battles, while he and Chrystal fought the carrier, but it would be senseless to risk all their lives in the battle since there was nothing for them to do.

  Dahlia had assured him only the best pilots and tacticians from their virtual wargames were staying behind. As soon as they docked the cruisers, the extra Mirosians would transfer to the battleship and be ferried home on auto-pilot.

  They had a lot to get done before he called Shirilla, but that shouldn’t be a problem. He was sure the captain was busy with her own after battle reports and repairs.

  Chrystal reported, “Nadia dropped out of subspace, and is heading for hangar one.”

  He felt the tension he hadn’t even known was there disappear as the small scout ship was swallowed up and safely behind the carrier’s shields. It was a purely emotional response, she hadn’t been in any danger really. Not yet anyway.

  A few minutes later, she came onto the bridge with a large grin, and tears in her eyes. She greeted them all with a hug and kiss, and then took a seat between him and Alyndra.

  “Things going to plan?” Nadia asked as she took in the fleet locations and status on the holo-table.

  He shrugged, “So far, but I’m not really expecting any trouble until after I make the call.”

  She sat back and tried not to fidget.

  “It’s really good to be back.”

  He smiled, for him that was an understatement…

  It took a couple of hours for all the energy to matter work Chrystal needed to do on the surface, and for the ships to return to the carrier to offload most of the Mirosians into the battleship and leave for the Milky Way in a circuitous route that would throw off any pursuit or trace of where they truly went.

  One thing he was sure of, was that hiding their home from the Canosians was absolutely essential.

  Dahlia joined them for lunch in her armor sans helm once seeing her people off.

  “Everything is set, though they aren’t happy they can no longer contribute here. Would it be acceptable for me to join you on the bridge for the remainder of the campaign? My best two hundred warriors will fly the ships.”

  It only took two, one to fly and one to concentrate on firing on the enemy, the automated systems took care of everything else. The other hundred were there as secondary teams for any cruisers that were destroyed, and also on opposite shifts to maintain operational readiness around the clock. He preferred not to think about the former, but it was an important consideration.

  He hated the death. More than anything else the Kascorix was guilty of doing, that angered him the most, the blood they’d put on his hands.

  “You and your input are always welcome on my bridge Dahlia.”

  The Mirosian commander smiled and they started on lunch. He figured it would be best to get that out of the way as well, who knew how the Canosians would react?

  “Hail the Vengeance, see if Shirilla is available to speak with us.”

  He felt a tightness in his gut, but refused to allow it to show to those around him, and took a sip of his coffee. He could tell Chrystal, Nadia, Alyndra, and Dahlia were tense as well. Her people were on the ships and were ready to launch at a moment’s notice if the response was bad.