Courting the Ice Princess 2
Jan. 9th, 2007 04:14 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
tygati*shifty eyes* .... Part two of Courting the Ice Princess...
Eheehee... *Runs for her life*
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Planet 7824226 (Rubican), Palace of Pleasure
He was starting to understand why the entire crew, Sigma notwithstanding, had no problem following Tau Ceti's lead in insulting the High Chancellor at the slightest opportunity. While he'd been aware that the unorthodox configuration of the Ice Princess meant that they'd be assigned unusual cases, never in his wildest thoughts would Ekaitz have imagined the High Chancellor would send them to a brothel.
Or whatever it was. Exotic resort retreat, complete with multi-talented personal attendants. Somehow he'd managed to read the entire mission briefing, form a plan of action, and determine and assign the appropriate roles, all without fully comprehending what exactly he was walking into. Now, he was dearly wishing he'd stayed on board the Ice Princess with Sigma.
The lobby of the Palace of Pleasure was open, luxurious, and lavish enough to rival even the Ice Princess. That much he was mostly immune to, due to being surrounded by it daily on the Ice Princess. It was the... decorations... lying about that really got to him.
Beautiful, every one of them, representing a wide variety of some of the most magnificent species in the Infinitum Government and beyond. The ultimate in species perfection, displayed in the most provocative manner possible while still managing to cover up the bare essentials. Ekaitz had taken one look and stopped, unable to proceed any further.
Now he was trapped, with various sensual gazes turning toward him quizzically as he hovered in the doorway between freedom and disaster. Jayce, Dralikkzion, and Fe'yiv were already inside, waiting. Jei would follow him in, and Tau Ceti, much to Ekaitz's surprise, had also volunteered to accompany them. Though he had no idea where the Gremlin was at present.
A gentle hand landed on his shoulder and Jei's voice murmured softly in his ear, "You okay?"
Ekaitz swallowed, wondering what Jei was doing here already. It couldn't possibly be time for the Avarri to make it entrance; Ekaitz hadn't been wavering that long, had he?
"Hey, you're good. Follow my lead, okay?"
Before he could protest there was a firm hand on his back, leading him forward to the glittering reception desk. The Rubican staffing it didn't bat an eye as Jei leaned forward and smiled conspiratorially, merely looked as calm and professional as ever.
"Hello there," Jei fairly purred. "My friend and I are having a bit of a problem, you see. He's a bit... mmm... inexperienced, if you follow, and painfully shy. I was hoping a visit here would boost his confidence, but..." He spread his hands helplessly and gestured toward Ekaitz. "Well. I think you can see how far we've gotten."
Ekaitz wanted to pass out or die as the Rubican's gaze passed over him measuringly. He wasn't inexperienced! He'd been taken to a pleasure house on Eliv when he'd first attained his majority, and he'd dabbled a few times since. Just because he was unused to such... such blatant displays...
The Rubican's rumbling chuckles disrupted his thoughts. "I can't see why your friend would have any troubles at all," the man announced, licking his lips. "He could put some of our treasures here to shame, looking like that. Elivin, am I correct?"
Fighting the blush that was threatening to consume him, Ekaitz nodded once. The Rubican smirked and reached out to pat his shoulder in a manner that was probably supposed to be reassuring but felt far too much like petting for Ekaitz's peace of mind.
"Mmm, I think I know exactly which of our beautiful jewels to assign to your friend," the man said thoughtfully. "But what of yourself?"
Jei smiled and subtly passed a hand over the Rubican's, passing something between them. "I was thinking I'd just go along with him for support... provide a familiar face and all so he doesn't feel so lost."
For a long moment it didn't seem as though the Rubican was going to give in, then finally he shrugged. "Only one jewel, though." He placed a small cardkey on the counter.
"That's fine," Jei replied smoothly. "I think I'll be more entertained just by watching the progress." He nudged at Ekaitz, who somewhat reluctantly passed over his point card while Jei and the Rubican shared a chuckle.
Ekaitz wasn't sure what was worse, the fact that everyone seemed to think he was a blushing virgin or the idea that Jei would be with him, watching... He shook his head swiftly, turning away so that neither of them would be able to see his face heating. Mission. They were on a mission. He'd figure out some way to slip away from the 'jewel' they'd been assigned and that would be that. In fact, having the young security officer with him might actually make that a little bit easier.
Provided, of course, he could actually manage to meet the man's eyes without blushing furiously. He was thirty-eight years old, damn it! He'd been raised to be perfectly poised and dignified at all times, and the years after his exile had more than taught him how to fend for himself. He should not be turning into a blushing teenager every time a pair of crimson eyes glanced his way. The man was nearly sixteen years his junior!
Apparently, age didn't matter to his libido.
He jumped again as Jei's soft voice once more murmured in his ear, "You forgot something..." before the cardkey was pressed into his hand. Ekaitz fought the urge to shiver, instead concentrating on wrapping his fingers firmly around the hard plastic and making his feet move forward. One step in front of the other across the wildly expensive real-wood floors, through the shimmering curtain of synth-fabric, down the luxurious hallway, stopping short as he realized someone was waiting for him.
The man was kneeling, prismatic white hair pooled around him and offsetting his golden-bronzed skin. When he heard Ekaitz's approaching footsteps he looked up, his eyes a dazzling array of colors that were constantly shifting, changing, blending from one into another. He rose slowly to bow formally to Ekaitz, only a few layers of shimmering gauze and elaborately placed jewelry protecting his modesty. "Master, I am Ka'leth. I am yours for the length of your stay."
His mind shut down. Give him sleezebags, thugs, assassins, traitors, and murderers. Give him the scum of the universe. Those he could deal with. This, this he couldn't handle at all. Maybe the High Chancellor had been wrong about him after all. Maybe he wasn't fit to command the Ice Princess at all.
"The proper thing to do," Jei's voice interrupted, carrying a faint hint of amusement, "Is to inquire about the different services that are available and select one. You can also give your name if you wish, though it's not overly common."
"Um." Ekaitz reminded himself to breathe. "I..." He blinked, twisting to regard the Avarri in surprise. "Services?"
Jei laughed, the faint trill in his voice legacy of his heritage. He slung a casual arm over Ekaitz's shoulder and smiled at Ka'leth. "Why don't we start with a massage, hmm? I think anything else would be too much at this point."
Ka'leth bowed again and led them deeper into the complex, Ekaitz following and trying very hard to concentrate on the layout of the area and not on Jei's arm and hand still touching him. They were shown into a comfortable room with a long padded table that Jei pushed him towards, the Avarri's deft hands managing to strip him of his shirt and undo his pants before his mind caught up with him.
"What are you doing!?" Ekaitz exclaimed, trapping Jei's wrists in his hands.
"You can hardly expect to receive a massage with all your clothes on," Jei replied, momentarily surprised.
"I..." Ekaitz glanced at the waiting Ka'leth, then back to Jei. "You know an awful lot about how this sort of thing works," he muttered, his own voice sounding plaintive to his ears.
Something froze behind Jei's eyes, though it was gone again before Ekaitz really had time to focus on it. The dark Avarri shrugged calmly and met his gaze. "I think anyone knows more about this stuff than you do. C'mon, 'kaitz, it's not going to hurt you to get one nice massage."
Still doubtful, Ekaitz hesitantly stepped out of his pants and lay down on the table, flatly refusing to take off his thin undershorts. He glared balefully at the floor, feeling the cool air on his skin, and wondered silently how he'd managed to get himself into such a situation. Somewhere nearby he heard a faint shifting, most likely the slave-boy getting ready while Jei found himself a nice viewpoint to watch and snicker, then there were warm hands on his shoulders and he all but melted.
Whatever else he thought of this place, those hands were good. Better than good. They unerringly sought out every spot of tension, every knot of muscle with such exquisite skill that he couldn't help the soft moan that escaped his lips. It was as though all of the doubts and uncertainties of the last month just washed away beneath that deft, delicious touch.
When those hands finally left him he lay still for a long moment and basked in the warm contentment until a series of odd sounds finally made him sit up and take notice. The white-haired young man was slumped on the floor, unconscious, and Jei was standing over him with an unfamiliar device in his hand.
Ekaitz frowned. "Jei? What..."
Jei looked up at him, flashing a cheerful smile, then strapped the device to the unconscious man's wrist. He pressed something on the device, then suddenly there were two Jeis.
Ekaitz shot up quickly and slid off the table. "What are you doing?" he demanded.
"Getting us access to wherever we want to go," Jei replied, strapping a second of the peculiar devices to his wrist. A moment later he had taken on the appearance of their guide and appeared quite pleased with himself. "That Gremlin's toys work really well."
It was incredibly strange to hear Jei's voice coming from the pleasure servant's lips. Ekaitz shook his head slightly, frown deepening. "We can't just leave him here."
Jei shook his head. "No, but I think I know where your assigned room is. We'll just pretend that I passed out."
"Leaving the two of us free to sneak around," Ekaitz finished. "All right." He shrugged back into his clothes before helping Jei with the unconscious Ka'leth and between the two of them managed to make it to Ekaitz's room without incident. A little fishing around on Jei's part turned up satin ropes that they used to bind and gag the man, then the two of them slipped back out again.
Now, finally, Ekaitz was starting to feel in control again. He wasn't being flirted with or hit on, though there were more than a few people staring hungrily at him as they walked, and he wasn't expected to be touching any of the far too beautiful half-naked people that seemed to be a permanent fixture of the establishment.
"Jayce, Zion, Fe'yiv, report in."
He kept his voice pitched low, maneuvering Jei and himself into a less populated area while his team reported in.
"Man, the Princess isn't gonna like this one bit. Ol' green ears has been running idents for me, and so far five of 'em have come back IG." Jayce sounded uncharacteristically grim.
"We don't know that they're doing anything illegal yet, just that they spend far too much money on something that should be free," Dralikkzion corrected.
"Something under the board is going on. There seems to be an unusual amount of activity centering around one particular area, but I can't get close enough to find out what. Apparently it's for 'Premiere' members only." Fe'yiv sulked.
Ekaitz frowned, considering. He glanced once at Jei, then nodded to himself. "Alright. Send me the coordinates, Fe'yiv, and we'll check it out. Jayce, you and Tau Ceti keep running idents. Zion, you and Fe'yiv see if you can hack into their computer system."
A dry voice broke into his issuing of orders. "Already done. I'll give them credit for not being stupid enough to attach names or idents to anything, but unfortunately their attempts at keeping everything untraceable weren't as good as they thought they were. I'm backtracing now."
A slight smile twisted Ekaitz's mouth. "I don't think they ever expected to be dealing with a demented Gremlin."
"Eccentric, not demented," Tau Ceti corrected absently, "Though some would argue that the separation is minimal. If you want a look at that building of Fe'yiv's, I can trip the locks from here. They really ought to know better than to use centralized power systems."
Ekaitz chuckled quietly. Tau Ceti might be arrogant, but it was a well-earned arrogance. "Understood. Zion, around back. Fe'yiv, north side. Jei and I will go in through the south entrance. If you find anything relay your findings to Tau Ceti and make sure you don't get-"
He broke off as he heard footsteps approaching. They'd managed to find a secluded corner not far from the 'premiere' building in question, but unfortunately there was not much in the corner that would have drawn a genuine customer and one of the pleasure servants there.
Before he had time to snarl a muted curse, strong arms were wrapping around his neck and a hot mouth covered his even as he found himself being pulled forward, his body pinning Jei's against a stone facade. He made a muffled sound of surprise, then he couldn't do anything else. Couldn't think, couldn't breathe. Everything began and ended with Jei's lips, Jei's mouth, Jei's tongue, Jei's hands as they slid down his back and then up underneath his shirt, teasing his skin.
Somewhere in the depths of his brain he acknowledged the footsteps retreating back the way they'd come, but it was only of secondary importance. His own hands shifted down, caressing the strong lines of muscle beneath the thin fabric of Jei's shirt, sliding down to cup the Avarri's firm buttocks and pull him closer so their groins brushed together. Beneath his hands Jei shivered, moaning softly into his mouth and clinging tighter.
Ekaitz slowly broke the kiss, tongue flicking out to taste the line of Jei's jaw as he worked his way down the man's neck to suck lightly at the skin of his collarbone. He'd lifted his head back up to steal another kiss when a worried voice sounded in his ear.
"Captain? Are you all right?"
Biting back a scathing curse, Ekaitz pulled away from Jei and re-opened the communications line. "Fine. Unexpected interruption, no problems. We'll proceed as planned."
Ending the transmission, Ekaitz cautiously met Jei's eyes. The Avarri was looking somewhat dazed, though that could have merely been a trick of the hologram. Ekaitz smiled wryly. "You and I talk later."
Jei's familiar quirky smile appeared on the holographic face. "Hmm, is it later yet?"
Laughing, Ekaitz took his hand and led them back out and around to where his in-lens told him an entrance to Fe'yiv's building could be found. There were no guards, but then there was also no obvious way to open the door. He reached out for it, almost making contact when it abruptly slid open, allowing him access. With a slight nod to Jei, they slipped inside.
Compared with the more brightly lit outdoors, the interior of the building was almost murky. A whispered conversation revealed that while Tau Ceti hadn't located a floorplan he had used the electricity configuration in the walls and flooring to draw up a basic map of his own. That map was transmitted to all of their in-lenses, highlighted with 'possible points of interest.'
The first of the attendants surprised them from around a corner. He opened his mouth to call for help, then suddenly clutched at his throat and made quiet gasping noises. Jei, hologram deactivated and back to his proper red and black self, slipped up behind him and struck the man once in the back of the head. The man promptly crumpled to the floor.
They exchanged a brief glance and briefer nod, then resumed their journey with a little more caution. The first of the rooms they checked was empty, as was the second, but the third held exactly what they'd been looking for. Cartons upon cartons of Soul awaiting distribution, with a small, independently-powered computer system sitting in the corner. Ekaitz whistled beneath his breath and made his way over.
"Jei, keep guard. I'm going to see what our little friends have been up to..."
By having the system on its own internal circuit, the dealers had neatly avoided the possibility of someone breaking into it from the outside. The sophisticated locks and alarm systems on the building itself were state of the art, and Fe'yiv had reported the main entrance as being heavily monitored. Unfortunately, none of them had counted on a temperamental Gremlin with a fondness for lockbreaking.
It was almost sad, really, how easily Ekaitz was able to break through the encryption software and access the log files. All the effort put forth to keep people from getting into the building, then practically nothing once they were inside. Overconfidence. It would cost them.
He'd just finished sending copies of all the files to Tau Ceti when Jei's quiet "hsst" alerted him to the fact that they had company. Four of them this time, though it still didn't do them any good. Before any of them had time to do more than make a faint sound of surprise, Ekaitz and Jei had them lying unconscious on the floor. They dragged the prone bodies into the room with the drugs and closed the door. Obviously, they were going to need to alter their plans slightly from the simple recon mission they'd been on. Millions of points worth of Soul were sitting in that room, and Ekaitz was determined that it was going nowhere but an incinerator.
"Captain," Fe'yiv's soft voice said in his ear, "I've got visual confirmation of one of our targets completing a transaction."
"Just sent the log books to Tau Ceti," Ekaitz replied. "This is a bigger operation than was indicated. Anything else?"
"Great Cliffs of Fornar..."
The raw, pained disbelief in Dralikkzion's voice was something Ekaitz had never heard before. Not from the perpetually laid-back Fornarian. "Zion? What's going on?"
"How dare they pervert..."
"Zion? Dralikkzion!" Ekaitz started cursing beneath his breath, taking off through the narrow halls and triangulating on the Fornarian's position. "Zion, answer me!"
At the next intersection they met up with Fe'yiv, then all three proceeded down to the lower level. The dimly-lit hallway boasted several doors, one partway down standing open. A man's arm and upper torso could be seen lying half in the hall, human to judge by the coloration. Ekaitz sprinted down the tiled floor, bracing himself for a fight as he leapt inside.
Dralikkzion stood in the center of the stark room, holding a battered, bleeding body in his arms. His warm eyes had gone dark with a fury that almost seemed to consume him as he looked up to meet his captain's eyes.
"Zion...?" Ekaitz questioned quietly, reaching out to check the boy's - barely more than a child's! - pulse.
"Palace of Pleasure," Dralikkzion spat. "Palace of pain and torture."
Ekaitz drew in a sharp breath, hearing echoing gasps behind him, then retreating footsteps. He swallowed, then activated his comm link. "Tau Ceti." There was an absent acknowledgement.
"Lock down the entire complex. I don't want anyone going in or out. Then call the High Chancellor and get me an Authority ship here now. This isn't just a Soul operation, it's a slavery ring."
Only distantly paying attention to the Gremlin's fluent swearing, Ekaitz knelt down to pay cursory inspection to the man Dralikkzion had felled then stepped back out into the hallway. He was met with Fe'yiv's grim expression.
"We've counted at least twelve more on this level, Captain, and there's another staircase that descends further underground. Jei's gone to investigate."
Ekaitz nodded. "Jayce?"
"Captain."
"Keep an eye on things out there. I doubt it will take them long to figure out they're locked in. If things get too chaotic, get out of there. We'll meet you back on the Ice Princess as soon as we can."
"Understood."
Ekaitz turned to find that Dralikkzion had joined them in the hallway, his face still grim. "How can people pervert what should be a joyous and wonderful thing?" the Fornarian asked quietly.
"People like you and I will never understand," Ekaitz told him softly. "Never."
Custom Class Star Ship TSPKAST-0000 (16251582) The Ice Princess
The soothing blue-greens of his office were about the only thing Ekaitz wanted to deal with at the moment. He downed half the pitcher of water Volar had courteously left on his desk before slumping forward, forehead resting against the shimmering synthetics that comprised the desk's surface. It had to have been the longest two days of his life, and ranked up there with getting exiled as the most depressing.
In the end they'd wound up with thirty-four caged slaves, over a third of them children, and all of them broken in spirit. Seeing the blank, glassy stares of some had almost been worse than the ones that had screamed. Ekaitz doubted that any of them would ever truly recover from the experience.
All of the involved parties were now in custody aboard the Solar Flare, the incriminating documents and vid-files long transmitted back to Zero, and the cases of Soul burned. Nine IG officials, including two Fourth Quadrant Lower Councilors, had been suspended from duty and were being held on Zero pending their trial. With the bulk of evidence now sitting in the High Chancellor's hands, the majority of them wouldn't be leaving Rehab for a very long time.
It should have made him feel better. It didn't. Times like this made him consider taking up drinking, but all it ever took was a single glass to remind him of exactly why Elivin shouldn't consume alcohol.
A brief knock at the door interrupted his mental debate on the pros and cons of doing it anyway. He lifted his head to glare blearily at the door, contemplating telling whoever it was to go away for several moments, then reluctantly decided that wasn't a good idea. There might be more complications to deal with, trouble on the planet, or maybe just Meiki managing to break the communications grid and draw Tau Ceti's wrath. Again.
Thumbing the controls to unlock the door, Ekaitz was surprised to see a man he didn't recognize standing in his doorway. A few moments of frantic, startled thought later he finally noticed the glittering platinum bracelet on the man's wrist and relaxed.
"You realize you can deactivate that now, right?" he asked dryly.
The man blinked, then flushed. He touched a finger to the bracelet as he stepped inside, the door sliding shut behind him. His entire image flickered, then the more familiar visage of Jei was standing sheepishly before him. "Right. Forgot it was still on, actually."
Ekaitz chuckled quietly. He never forgot he had one of the holographic inducers active, as it never failed to make his skin dry out faster much to his discomfort and Tau Ceti's vexation. The Gremlin seemed to think he was being difficult on purpose, or at least that was the feeling he got every time Tau Ceti snatched it back from him.
It was unfortunate they were required at all, but the simple truth was that magics-capable were not allowed in the Infinitum Government. It would be too easy to abuse their special abilities in such a setting, and thus the prohibition had come into effect. That didn't make it any less difficult to do your job as an Internal Affairs agent when you technically didn't exist and certainly weren't a magics-capable being working for the High Chancellor himself doing covert operations that were usually a little on the shady side of legal.
Thus, every time they had to interact with 'official' IG officers like those of the Solar Flare, everyone donned one of several different identities specially crafted for just such a purpose.
"Ah..." Jei fidgeted, looking far less confident than Ekaitz had ever seen him before. "I was wondering if you felt like... talking..."
For a moment Ekaitz completely blanked on what the security officer meant, his mind having gotten lost in the tedious details of cleaning up after the scum of the universe, then the memory returned and his cheeks heated. "Oh. Right. Talking."
Neither of them quite managed to meet the other's eyes, which was understandable in himself but Jei was... Jei. It was hard to imagine that the same man who had handled the whole brothel issue with such casual ease would be having the same fluttering, uncertain feeling as Ekaitz. Had all that confidence merely been a ruse? Or had the Avarri come instead to ask Ekaitz to leave him alone? His stomach flipped.
Jei fidgeted restlessly, his wings shifting position every few moments as though he wasn't quite certain what to do with them. His hands were firmly clasped behind his back, though from the way his arms twitched it didn't look like those were holding still very well either. Finally he drew in a deep breath and wrenched his gaze up to meet Ekaitz's eyes.
"Where the stars did you learn to kiss like that!?" Jei blurted. "I thought..." He abruptly snapped his mouth closed and looked away in embarrassment.
Ekaitz felt his cheeks heating as well. "Ah, I guess I did give that impression, didn't I?" He cringed, hoping devoutly that Jei was the only one who had actually witnessed his deplorable behaviour. "I'm thirty-eight years old, Jei. I don't think it's actually possible to make it that far without..." His face flushed further. "Ah... at least some experience..."
"Thirty-eight?" Jei repeated, sounding a little surprised. "Huh. You really don't look it." The security officer contemplated that for a moment, during which Ekaitz did his best not to squirm. The Captain part of him was anticipating that the beautiful young Avarri would (rightfully) decide that the age difference was too great. The part of him that was just Ekaitz, however, was desperately hoping for just the reverse.
"So..." Jei leaned forward, his hands flat on the surface of Ekaitz's desk, those lovely crimson eyes far too close for the Elivin's peace of mind. "Back there... on the planet..." Why couldn't Ekaitz manage to look away from that hypnotic gaze? "You kissed me back."
Could a man get fired for kissing his junior officer in an effort to avoid detection while undercover at a whorehouse? Ekaitz's chest felt strangely tight. "Would you prefer I hadn't?"
"I, oh, Stars!" Jei's face twisted into a grimace and then suddenly he was halfway across the desk, one hand wrapping behind Ekaitz's neck, the other still on the desk to steady himself, his lips hot and demanding as they covered Ekaitz's own.
The heady rush was just the same the second time as it had been the first, wet and fiery and consuming as their tongues sparred. He didn't remember yanking Jei off the desk and into his lap, but he was quite aware of managing to get one hand up the back of the man's shirt as Jei positively keened when his questing touch brushed against the strong muscle where the planes of his back gave way to wings. The Avarri arched in his lap, their cloth-covered groins brushing together in a way that made them both moan and break apart, panting.
"That would be a 'no' then," Ekaitz observed, then yanked Jei back down for another bruising kiss. Deft fingers undid the fastenings of his shirt, reaching inside to caress his skin and tease his nipples, then abruptly those same hands were swiftly undoing his pants and Ekaitz had to force them apart again.
"Not..." He struggled to catch his breath. "Not here..."
Eyes to put the finest Fornarian ruby to shame pouted at him even as their owner sucked in long-denied air as well. "Why not?"
Ekaitz grimaced. "Because half the crew, if not more, knows how to manipulate the locks on this ship and they all consider my office to be free territory."
Jei winced. "Oh." He didn't move from Ekaitz's lap, if anything he wriggled closer, thinking furiously. "Is there anywhere private? With that Gremlin around..."
Ekaitz chuckled quietly. "Oddly enough, Tau Ceti is the least of my worries. He has his own feelings about privacy." He considered. "Enough so that he rigged all the doors in the personal areas to respond only to me, him, and their owners. How do you feel about seeing what the Captain's quarters look like?"
The response, though wordless, was entirely affirmative.
Ekaitz awoke feeling warm, sated, and deliciously content, if a bit on the dry side. He groped blindly for the bottle of water that he knew was on a side table somewhere, having to sit up and order the light intensity increased a little when it didn't immediately turn up. The water bottle had fallen to the floor at some point and he retrieved and drained it before twisting around to see if his restlessness had awoken his lover.
The bed was empty. Dropping the bottle, Ekaitz threw back the covers and retrieved his in-lens, searching for any priority missives that would have drawn the security officer away. Nothing. Undaunted, he yanked his trousers back on and ordered the internal scanners to locate Jei, tensing when the result came back. What was the Avarri doing in the transport room?
Not bothering with the rest of his clothing, Ekaitz bolted out the door and down the corridors to the lift, fidgeting impatiently during the minimal delay as the lift carried him up several floors. There was a reason Jei had crept out while he was asleep. There was a reason he was in the transport room when no orders had been given. There had to be.
He was through the lift doors practically before they'd finished opening, his heart pounding in his chest as he ran the rest of the way to the transport room, more alarmed than he cared to admit when the doors didn't immediately open. He punched in his override access code with slightly more force than was strictly necessary and stepped inside, stopping short at the sight.
Jei was there, but he wasn't alone. Sigma was there as well, on his knees and struggling futilely against some kind of invisible bonds, his eyes gone wide with alarm and a cold anger. He was still wearing the medium grey 'uniform' he tended to prefer while on duty, which most likely meant that Tau Ceti wasn't yet aware that there was anything wrong.
As Ekaitz stared, Jei's face went as pale as it could beneath his dark skin, the tips of his wings trembling.
"Jei..." Ekaitz managed to force out.
Jei flinched back as though struck, the trembling worsening. "Ekaitz, I..." He swallowed audibly. "It wasn't supposed to be this way. It was just... just another job... I never expected..." The Avarri bit his lip, taking two steps back so that he was standing just next to Sigma on the transport pad.
"I'm sorry," Jei whispered, then the transporter came to life and they were gone.
For several long moments Ekaitz could only stare in disbelief, his heart hammering in his chest as it attempted to wrench itself right out of his body. This couldn't be happening. It simply wasn't possible. No one but the High Chancellor even knew Ekaitz and the Ice Princess existed. Sigma was officially 'retired' on some obscure planet out in the middle of nowhere. There was absolutely no way that Jei had just kidnapped his Second officer.
Except that he had.
Ignoring the way his heart wanted to shatter into a thousand tiny pieces, Ekaitz swiftly called up the controls on the transporter, trying to determine where they'd gone. The Ice Princess should be in the middle of space, which could only mean... Yes. Another ship. Already out of transport range and moving fast.
"Not fast enough," he snarled and bolted back out of the transport room. "Meiki, Fe'yiv."
There was no response from either of the two who should have been manning the bridge. Ekaitz's blood chilled and he forced himself to run that much faster. "Jayce! Dralikkzion!"
A few moments later there was one, then two sleepy acknowledgements. "Meet me on the bridge, now," Ekaitz snapped, all but throwing himself bodily into the lift and wanting to scream at how slow the better than state of the art technology seemed to move when your entire world was falling apart.
Down yet another hallway - too long, far too long - Ekaitz was forced to come up short as the bridge doors didn't immediately open for him. Again he had to manually override them, and they were sluggish to respond when he did. His heart leapt into his throat at the sight of his two officers slumped over their consoles. They weren't... Jei wouldn't... He sighed in relief to find two sets of steady pulses, then reached over Meiki's shoulder to set a pursuit course. There was no ship ever built that could outrun the Ice Princess.
He'd just finished laying the course and sending the command codes to initiate when the pounding of footsteps alerted him that Jayce and Dralikkzion had just made their appearance. He spun, catching a brief glimpse of the two sleep-muddled, barely dressed men before there was a muffled boom and they were all knocked off their feet.
"What the fuck was that?" Jayce demanded, then a far more intimidating voice sounded over the speakers.
"What did you do to my ship!?" Tau Ceti screamed, the fury in the Gremlin's voice unmistakable.
"Tau Ceti, you are needed on the bridge right now." Ekaitz was distantly amazed at how steady his voice sounded. "That goes for everyone else as well. I want everybody up here in the next two minutes, decent or not. Xalin, bring a medkit."
Jayce and Dralikkzion were both staring at him, uncharacteristically silent. He snapped out orders and the two helped him get Meiki and Fe'yiv laid out on the floor. Dralikkzion was still kneeling over the two unconscious officers when Xalin arrived, though Jayce had slipped into one of the two control chairs and was running a systems check.
Q'inn and Volar arrived shortly thereafter, Volar going to assist Xalin while Q'inn went immediately to Ekaitz's side. "What's going on?" the Hellcat asked.
Ekaitz shook his head. "Not yet, I still need..."
Right on cue Tau Ceti appeared, Irinar just behind him. The Gremlin was absolutely livid, then the anger abruptly turned to shock as he spotted Meiki and Fe'yiv with the two medical officers bending over them. "What. Happened?"
"Jei was a plant," Ekaitz said flatly, feeling the startled ripple around him as the remaining crewmembers started at his words. "It looks like his primary mission on our ship was to kidnap a member of our crew."
There were several indrawn breaths, then Tau Ceti went nearly white. He twisted to look around the room, in-specs flashing as he frantically accessed the computer. "No... Sigma... where is Sigma!?"
Before Ekaitz had a chance to reply, Jayce began cursing fluently and pounded a fist on the edge of his control board. "The engines aren't responding. We're fucking dead in the water and those bastards are getting away from us!"
With an inhuman cry the likes of which Ekaitz had never heard before, Tau Ceti spun and sprinted off the bridge, no doubt heading for the engine room. Irinar took off on his heels to do the same, her eyes wide and frightened. No one else moved for a long moment, then Xalin's voice said quietly, "Meiki and Fe'yiv will be fine. Neither has suffered any permanent damage, though they'll both likely wake up with an impressive headache."
"How... how could something like this happen?" Q'inn snarled, his tail lashing furiously as his claws clenched and reclenched. "This ship doesn't fucking exist!"
"I don't know," Ekaitz said quietly. "Jayce, Zion, status of our communications systems."
The Fornarian slid into his seat while the Vrill slowly called up the appropriate systems. "Looks like they're still operational..."
"Put out a Locate and Detain on that ship that ran from us, Priority Zero." Ekaitz drew in a slow breath and ran a hand through his unbound hair. "Then get me the High Chancellor."
Jayce hesitated. "It's 03:30 Zero time..."
Ekaitz sighed quietly. Could this day possibly get any worse? He'd be lucky to end up on a Sardoran freighter once this mess was over.
"I'm aware of that, Jayce. Put the call through."
While he waited for the connection to be picked up on the other end, Ekaitz located Sigma's in-specs. The kidnappers' escape ship was still within range of their equipment and hadn't yet adjusted course. With the Ice Princess's enhanced systems, they had another forty-five minutes or so before things got ugly. If they had any luck left in this disaster, Tau Ceti would be able to get the engines back on line and operational before they reached that point.
If not, he was just going to have to hope they could track that blasted ship however far it decided to run. Though the longer it took to take up the pursuit, the slimmer their chances became. Especially if the kidnappers went through a light gate.
Shoving that thought firmly out of mind, Ekaitz evaluated the Ice Princess's systems. Whatever had taken out their engines seemed to have only taken out the engines. All other systems appeared to be completely operational, as far as he could tell. Nothing behaved quite the same as on a 'normal' ship, and he was still adjusting to the entirely custom-built systems.
"Got him," Jayce announced quietly, then the shirtless, slightly sleep-muddled image of the High Chancellor appeared on the main screen. He took in the similarly disarrayed status of Ekaitz and his crew and straightened, pale blue eyes going frighteningly intense.
"Captain Kai. What's happened?"
Ekaitz ran a hand through his tangled hair. "Our new security officer turned out to be a plant. We don't know how much he knows about the ship, but I don't think it's the Ice Princess he was after, as he took Sigma with him when he left. Our engines are crippled; Tau Ceti's down there now, but I haven't gotten any sort of estimate on how long it's going to take him to fix them. I've put out an L&D on the ship, and Dralikkzion is transmitting all the data we have on them to you now."
The High Chancellor went so still he could have been carved from ice. His expression betrayed nothing, the ultimate unreadable mask of a lifetime politician. His eyes flicked once, briefly, to the incoming data on his screen, then his lips narrowed the slightest bit. "The Ice Princess is Classified. Without access to my systems..." Those pale eyes flashed, and Ekaitz was abruptly extremely glad to have two quadrants between himself and the High Chancellor. "Keep me informed. I'll reroute every ship I can spare in the area."
Ekaitz nodded once, then the call abruptly ended. He dropped into his chair with a pained sound, rubbing at his temples. His skin was feeling dry again and the bottle next to his chair was empty. Until Tau Ceti got the engines working again there was practically nothing he could do except to go over every detail of every moment he'd spent in Jei's presence and look for whatever clues there might have been. He already had the man's file up on Sigma's in-specs, though it had most likely been faked, and there was nothing there to help him.
Hauling himself back out of his chair with a muffled curse, he grabbed the empty bottle and headed down to the medical room. Xalin had most likely relocated Meiki and Fe'yiv there while he was otherwise occupied, and there was always the possibility that Jei had said something to one of them before rendering them unconscious.
As he swore at the lift for the third time that morning, Ekaitz reflected that it was entirely in keeping with the rest of his life that he'd finally manage to find the one man who was absolutely perfect for him, only to have that man turn out to be a traitor. The cosmos was evidently having one enormous laugh at his expense.
To Part Three
Eheehee... *Runs for her life*
---
Planet 7824226 (Rubican), Palace of Pleasure
He was starting to understand why the entire crew, Sigma notwithstanding, had no problem following Tau Ceti's lead in insulting the High Chancellor at the slightest opportunity. While he'd been aware that the unorthodox configuration of the Ice Princess meant that they'd be assigned unusual cases, never in his wildest thoughts would Ekaitz have imagined the High Chancellor would send them to a brothel.
Or whatever it was. Exotic resort retreat, complete with multi-talented personal attendants. Somehow he'd managed to read the entire mission briefing, form a plan of action, and determine and assign the appropriate roles, all without fully comprehending what exactly he was walking into. Now, he was dearly wishing he'd stayed on board the Ice Princess with Sigma.
The lobby of the Palace of Pleasure was open, luxurious, and lavish enough to rival even the Ice Princess. That much he was mostly immune to, due to being surrounded by it daily on the Ice Princess. It was the... decorations... lying about that really got to him.
Beautiful, every one of them, representing a wide variety of some of the most magnificent species in the Infinitum Government and beyond. The ultimate in species perfection, displayed in the most provocative manner possible while still managing to cover up the bare essentials. Ekaitz had taken one look and stopped, unable to proceed any further.
Now he was trapped, with various sensual gazes turning toward him quizzically as he hovered in the doorway between freedom and disaster. Jayce, Dralikkzion, and Fe'yiv were already inside, waiting. Jei would follow him in, and Tau Ceti, much to Ekaitz's surprise, had also volunteered to accompany them. Though he had no idea where the Gremlin was at present.
A gentle hand landed on his shoulder and Jei's voice murmured softly in his ear, "You okay?"
Ekaitz swallowed, wondering what Jei was doing here already. It couldn't possibly be time for the Avarri to make it entrance; Ekaitz hadn't been wavering that long, had he?
"Hey, you're good. Follow my lead, okay?"
Before he could protest there was a firm hand on his back, leading him forward to the glittering reception desk. The Rubican staffing it didn't bat an eye as Jei leaned forward and smiled conspiratorially, merely looked as calm and professional as ever.
"Hello there," Jei fairly purred. "My friend and I are having a bit of a problem, you see. He's a bit... mmm... inexperienced, if you follow, and painfully shy. I was hoping a visit here would boost his confidence, but..." He spread his hands helplessly and gestured toward Ekaitz. "Well. I think you can see how far we've gotten."
Ekaitz wanted to pass out or die as the Rubican's gaze passed over him measuringly. He wasn't inexperienced! He'd been taken to a pleasure house on Eliv when he'd first attained his majority, and he'd dabbled a few times since. Just because he was unused to such... such blatant displays...
The Rubican's rumbling chuckles disrupted his thoughts. "I can't see why your friend would have any troubles at all," the man announced, licking his lips. "He could put some of our treasures here to shame, looking like that. Elivin, am I correct?"
Fighting the blush that was threatening to consume him, Ekaitz nodded once. The Rubican smirked and reached out to pat his shoulder in a manner that was probably supposed to be reassuring but felt far too much like petting for Ekaitz's peace of mind.
"Mmm, I think I know exactly which of our beautiful jewels to assign to your friend," the man said thoughtfully. "But what of yourself?"
Jei smiled and subtly passed a hand over the Rubican's, passing something between them. "I was thinking I'd just go along with him for support... provide a familiar face and all so he doesn't feel so lost."
For a long moment it didn't seem as though the Rubican was going to give in, then finally he shrugged. "Only one jewel, though." He placed a small cardkey on the counter.
"That's fine," Jei replied smoothly. "I think I'll be more entertained just by watching the progress." He nudged at Ekaitz, who somewhat reluctantly passed over his point card while Jei and the Rubican shared a chuckle.
Ekaitz wasn't sure what was worse, the fact that everyone seemed to think he was a blushing virgin or the idea that Jei would be with him, watching... He shook his head swiftly, turning away so that neither of them would be able to see his face heating. Mission. They were on a mission. He'd figure out some way to slip away from the 'jewel' they'd been assigned and that would be that. In fact, having the young security officer with him might actually make that a little bit easier.
Provided, of course, he could actually manage to meet the man's eyes without blushing furiously. He was thirty-eight years old, damn it! He'd been raised to be perfectly poised and dignified at all times, and the years after his exile had more than taught him how to fend for himself. He should not be turning into a blushing teenager every time a pair of crimson eyes glanced his way. The man was nearly sixteen years his junior!
Apparently, age didn't matter to his libido.
He jumped again as Jei's soft voice once more murmured in his ear, "You forgot something..." before the cardkey was pressed into his hand. Ekaitz fought the urge to shiver, instead concentrating on wrapping his fingers firmly around the hard plastic and making his feet move forward. One step in front of the other across the wildly expensive real-wood floors, through the shimmering curtain of synth-fabric, down the luxurious hallway, stopping short as he realized someone was waiting for him.
The man was kneeling, prismatic white hair pooled around him and offsetting his golden-bronzed skin. When he heard Ekaitz's approaching footsteps he looked up, his eyes a dazzling array of colors that were constantly shifting, changing, blending from one into another. He rose slowly to bow formally to Ekaitz, only a few layers of shimmering gauze and elaborately placed jewelry protecting his modesty. "Master, I am Ka'leth. I am yours for the length of your stay."
His mind shut down. Give him sleezebags, thugs, assassins, traitors, and murderers. Give him the scum of the universe. Those he could deal with. This, this he couldn't handle at all. Maybe the High Chancellor had been wrong about him after all. Maybe he wasn't fit to command the Ice Princess at all.
"The proper thing to do," Jei's voice interrupted, carrying a faint hint of amusement, "Is to inquire about the different services that are available and select one. You can also give your name if you wish, though it's not overly common."
"Um." Ekaitz reminded himself to breathe. "I..." He blinked, twisting to regard the Avarri in surprise. "Services?"
Jei laughed, the faint trill in his voice legacy of his heritage. He slung a casual arm over Ekaitz's shoulder and smiled at Ka'leth. "Why don't we start with a massage, hmm? I think anything else would be too much at this point."
Ka'leth bowed again and led them deeper into the complex, Ekaitz following and trying very hard to concentrate on the layout of the area and not on Jei's arm and hand still touching him. They were shown into a comfortable room with a long padded table that Jei pushed him towards, the Avarri's deft hands managing to strip him of his shirt and undo his pants before his mind caught up with him.
"What are you doing!?" Ekaitz exclaimed, trapping Jei's wrists in his hands.
"You can hardly expect to receive a massage with all your clothes on," Jei replied, momentarily surprised.
"I..." Ekaitz glanced at the waiting Ka'leth, then back to Jei. "You know an awful lot about how this sort of thing works," he muttered, his own voice sounding plaintive to his ears.
Something froze behind Jei's eyes, though it was gone again before Ekaitz really had time to focus on it. The dark Avarri shrugged calmly and met his gaze. "I think anyone knows more about this stuff than you do. C'mon, 'kaitz, it's not going to hurt you to get one nice massage."
Still doubtful, Ekaitz hesitantly stepped out of his pants and lay down on the table, flatly refusing to take off his thin undershorts. He glared balefully at the floor, feeling the cool air on his skin, and wondered silently how he'd managed to get himself into such a situation. Somewhere nearby he heard a faint shifting, most likely the slave-boy getting ready while Jei found himself a nice viewpoint to watch and snicker, then there were warm hands on his shoulders and he all but melted.
Whatever else he thought of this place, those hands were good. Better than good. They unerringly sought out every spot of tension, every knot of muscle with such exquisite skill that he couldn't help the soft moan that escaped his lips. It was as though all of the doubts and uncertainties of the last month just washed away beneath that deft, delicious touch.
When those hands finally left him he lay still for a long moment and basked in the warm contentment until a series of odd sounds finally made him sit up and take notice. The white-haired young man was slumped on the floor, unconscious, and Jei was standing over him with an unfamiliar device in his hand.
Ekaitz frowned. "Jei? What..."
Jei looked up at him, flashing a cheerful smile, then strapped the device to the unconscious man's wrist. He pressed something on the device, then suddenly there were two Jeis.
Ekaitz shot up quickly and slid off the table. "What are you doing?" he demanded.
"Getting us access to wherever we want to go," Jei replied, strapping a second of the peculiar devices to his wrist. A moment later he had taken on the appearance of their guide and appeared quite pleased with himself. "That Gremlin's toys work really well."
It was incredibly strange to hear Jei's voice coming from the pleasure servant's lips. Ekaitz shook his head slightly, frown deepening. "We can't just leave him here."
Jei shook his head. "No, but I think I know where your assigned room is. We'll just pretend that I passed out."
"Leaving the two of us free to sneak around," Ekaitz finished. "All right." He shrugged back into his clothes before helping Jei with the unconscious Ka'leth and between the two of them managed to make it to Ekaitz's room without incident. A little fishing around on Jei's part turned up satin ropes that they used to bind and gag the man, then the two of them slipped back out again.
Now, finally, Ekaitz was starting to feel in control again. He wasn't being flirted with or hit on, though there were more than a few people staring hungrily at him as they walked, and he wasn't expected to be touching any of the far too beautiful half-naked people that seemed to be a permanent fixture of the establishment.
"Jayce, Zion, Fe'yiv, report in."
He kept his voice pitched low, maneuvering Jei and himself into a less populated area while his team reported in.
"Man, the Princess isn't gonna like this one bit. Ol' green ears has been running idents for me, and so far five of 'em have come back IG." Jayce sounded uncharacteristically grim.
"We don't know that they're doing anything illegal yet, just that they spend far too much money on something that should be free," Dralikkzion corrected.
"Something under the board is going on. There seems to be an unusual amount of activity centering around one particular area, but I can't get close enough to find out what. Apparently it's for 'Premiere' members only." Fe'yiv sulked.
Ekaitz frowned, considering. He glanced once at Jei, then nodded to himself. "Alright. Send me the coordinates, Fe'yiv, and we'll check it out. Jayce, you and Tau Ceti keep running idents. Zion, you and Fe'yiv see if you can hack into their computer system."
A dry voice broke into his issuing of orders. "Already done. I'll give them credit for not being stupid enough to attach names or idents to anything, but unfortunately their attempts at keeping everything untraceable weren't as good as they thought they were. I'm backtracing now."
A slight smile twisted Ekaitz's mouth. "I don't think they ever expected to be dealing with a demented Gremlin."
"Eccentric, not demented," Tau Ceti corrected absently, "Though some would argue that the separation is minimal. If you want a look at that building of Fe'yiv's, I can trip the locks from here. They really ought to know better than to use centralized power systems."
Ekaitz chuckled quietly. Tau Ceti might be arrogant, but it was a well-earned arrogance. "Understood. Zion, around back. Fe'yiv, north side. Jei and I will go in through the south entrance. If you find anything relay your findings to Tau Ceti and make sure you don't get-"
He broke off as he heard footsteps approaching. They'd managed to find a secluded corner not far from the 'premiere' building in question, but unfortunately there was not much in the corner that would have drawn a genuine customer and one of the pleasure servants there.
Before he had time to snarl a muted curse, strong arms were wrapping around his neck and a hot mouth covered his even as he found himself being pulled forward, his body pinning Jei's against a stone facade. He made a muffled sound of surprise, then he couldn't do anything else. Couldn't think, couldn't breathe. Everything began and ended with Jei's lips, Jei's mouth, Jei's tongue, Jei's hands as they slid down his back and then up underneath his shirt, teasing his skin.
Somewhere in the depths of his brain he acknowledged the footsteps retreating back the way they'd come, but it was only of secondary importance. His own hands shifted down, caressing the strong lines of muscle beneath the thin fabric of Jei's shirt, sliding down to cup the Avarri's firm buttocks and pull him closer so their groins brushed together. Beneath his hands Jei shivered, moaning softly into his mouth and clinging tighter.
Ekaitz slowly broke the kiss, tongue flicking out to taste the line of Jei's jaw as he worked his way down the man's neck to suck lightly at the skin of his collarbone. He'd lifted his head back up to steal another kiss when a worried voice sounded in his ear.
"Captain? Are you all right?"
Biting back a scathing curse, Ekaitz pulled away from Jei and re-opened the communications line. "Fine. Unexpected interruption, no problems. We'll proceed as planned."
Ending the transmission, Ekaitz cautiously met Jei's eyes. The Avarri was looking somewhat dazed, though that could have merely been a trick of the hologram. Ekaitz smiled wryly. "You and I talk later."
Jei's familiar quirky smile appeared on the holographic face. "Hmm, is it later yet?"
Laughing, Ekaitz took his hand and led them back out and around to where his in-lens told him an entrance to Fe'yiv's building could be found. There were no guards, but then there was also no obvious way to open the door. He reached out for it, almost making contact when it abruptly slid open, allowing him access. With a slight nod to Jei, they slipped inside.
Compared with the more brightly lit outdoors, the interior of the building was almost murky. A whispered conversation revealed that while Tau Ceti hadn't located a floorplan he had used the electricity configuration in the walls and flooring to draw up a basic map of his own. That map was transmitted to all of their in-lenses, highlighted with 'possible points of interest.'
The first of the attendants surprised them from around a corner. He opened his mouth to call for help, then suddenly clutched at his throat and made quiet gasping noises. Jei, hologram deactivated and back to his proper red and black self, slipped up behind him and struck the man once in the back of the head. The man promptly crumpled to the floor.
They exchanged a brief glance and briefer nod, then resumed their journey with a little more caution. The first of the rooms they checked was empty, as was the second, but the third held exactly what they'd been looking for. Cartons upon cartons of Soul awaiting distribution, with a small, independently-powered computer system sitting in the corner. Ekaitz whistled beneath his breath and made his way over.
"Jei, keep guard. I'm going to see what our little friends have been up to..."
By having the system on its own internal circuit, the dealers had neatly avoided the possibility of someone breaking into it from the outside. The sophisticated locks and alarm systems on the building itself were state of the art, and Fe'yiv had reported the main entrance as being heavily monitored. Unfortunately, none of them had counted on a temperamental Gremlin with a fondness for lockbreaking.
It was almost sad, really, how easily Ekaitz was able to break through the encryption software and access the log files. All the effort put forth to keep people from getting into the building, then practically nothing once they were inside. Overconfidence. It would cost them.
He'd just finished sending copies of all the files to Tau Ceti when Jei's quiet "hsst" alerted him to the fact that they had company. Four of them this time, though it still didn't do them any good. Before any of them had time to do more than make a faint sound of surprise, Ekaitz and Jei had them lying unconscious on the floor. They dragged the prone bodies into the room with the drugs and closed the door. Obviously, they were going to need to alter their plans slightly from the simple recon mission they'd been on. Millions of points worth of Soul were sitting in that room, and Ekaitz was determined that it was going nowhere but an incinerator.
"Captain," Fe'yiv's soft voice said in his ear, "I've got visual confirmation of one of our targets completing a transaction."
"Just sent the log books to Tau Ceti," Ekaitz replied. "This is a bigger operation than was indicated. Anything else?"
"Great Cliffs of Fornar..."
The raw, pained disbelief in Dralikkzion's voice was something Ekaitz had never heard before. Not from the perpetually laid-back Fornarian. "Zion? What's going on?"
"How dare they pervert..."
"Zion? Dralikkzion!" Ekaitz started cursing beneath his breath, taking off through the narrow halls and triangulating on the Fornarian's position. "Zion, answer me!"
At the next intersection they met up with Fe'yiv, then all three proceeded down to the lower level. The dimly-lit hallway boasted several doors, one partway down standing open. A man's arm and upper torso could be seen lying half in the hall, human to judge by the coloration. Ekaitz sprinted down the tiled floor, bracing himself for a fight as he leapt inside.
Dralikkzion stood in the center of the stark room, holding a battered, bleeding body in his arms. His warm eyes had gone dark with a fury that almost seemed to consume him as he looked up to meet his captain's eyes.
"Zion...?" Ekaitz questioned quietly, reaching out to check the boy's - barely more than a child's! - pulse.
"Palace of Pleasure," Dralikkzion spat. "Palace of pain and torture."
Ekaitz drew in a sharp breath, hearing echoing gasps behind him, then retreating footsteps. He swallowed, then activated his comm link. "Tau Ceti." There was an absent acknowledgement.
"Lock down the entire complex. I don't want anyone going in or out. Then call the High Chancellor and get me an Authority ship here now. This isn't just a Soul operation, it's a slavery ring."
Only distantly paying attention to the Gremlin's fluent swearing, Ekaitz knelt down to pay cursory inspection to the man Dralikkzion had felled then stepped back out into the hallway. He was met with Fe'yiv's grim expression.
"We've counted at least twelve more on this level, Captain, and there's another staircase that descends further underground. Jei's gone to investigate."
Ekaitz nodded. "Jayce?"
"Captain."
"Keep an eye on things out there. I doubt it will take them long to figure out they're locked in. If things get too chaotic, get out of there. We'll meet you back on the Ice Princess as soon as we can."
"Understood."
Ekaitz turned to find that Dralikkzion had joined them in the hallway, his face still grim. "How can people pervert what should be a joyous and wonderful thing?" the Fornarian asked quietly.
"People like you and I will never understand," Ekaitz told him softly. "Never."
Custom Class Star Ship TSPKAST-0000 (16251582) The Ice Princess
The soothing blue-greens of his office were about the only thing Ekaitz wanted to deal with at the moment. He downed half the pitcher of water Volar had courteously left on his desk before slumping forward, forehead resting against the shimmering synthetics that comprised the desk's surface. It had to have been the longest two days of his life, and ranked up there with getting exiled as the most depressing.
In the end they'd wound up with thirty-four caged slaves, over a third of them children, and all of them broken in spirit. Seeing the blank, glassy stares of some had almost been worse than the ones that had screamed. Ekaitz doubted that any of them would ever truly recover from the experience.
All of the involved parties were now in custody aboard the Solar Flare, the incriminating documents and vid-files long transmitted back to Zero, and the cases of Soul burned. Nine IG officials, including two Fourth Quadrant Lower Councilors, had been suspended from duty and were being held on Zero pending their trial. With the bulk of evidence now sitting in the High Chancellor's hands, the majority of them wouldn't be leaving Rehab for a very long time.
It should have made him feel better. It didn't. Times like this made him consider taking up drinking, but all it ever took was a single glass to remind him of exactly why Elivin shouldn't consume alcohol.
A brief knock at the door interrupted his mental debate on the pros and cons of doing it anyway. He lifted his head to glare blearily at the door, contemplating telling whoever it was to go away for several moments, then reluctantly decided that wasn't a good idea. There might be more complications to deal with, trouble on the planet, or maybe just Meiki managing to break the communications grid and draw Tau Ceti's wrath. Again.
Thumbing the controls to unlock the door, Ekaitz was surprised to see a man he didn't recognize standing in his doorway. A few moments of frantic, startled thought later he finally noticed the glittering platinum bracelet on the man's wrist and relaxed.
"You realize you can deactivate that now, right?" he asked dryly.
The man blinked, then flushed. He touched a finger to the bracelet as he stepped inside, the door sliding shut behind him. His entire image flickered, then the more familiar visage of Jei was standing sheepishly before him. "Right. Forgot it was still on, actually."
Ekaitz chuckled quietly. He never forgot he had one of the holographic inducers active, as it never failed to make his skin dry out faster much to his discomfort and Tau Ceti's vexation. The Gremlin seemed to think he was being difficult on purpose, or at least that was the feeling he got every time Tau Ceti snatched it back from him.
It was unfortunate they were required at all, but the simple truth was that magics-capable were not allowed in the Infinitum Government. It would be too easy to abuse their special abilities in such a setting, and thus the prohibition had come into effect. That didn't make it any less difficult to do your job as an Internal Affairs agent when you technically didn't exist and certainly weren't a magics-capable being working for the High Chancellor himself doing covert operations that were usually a little on the shady side of legal.
Thus, every time they had to interact with 'official' IG officers like those of the Solar Flare, everyone donned one of several different identities specially crafted for just such a purpose.
"Ah..." Jei fidgeted, looking far less confident than Ekaitz had ever seen him before. "I was wondering if you felt like... talking..."
For a moment Ekaitz completely blanked on what the security officer meant, his mind having gotten lost in the tedious details of cleaning up after the scum of the universe, then the memory returned and his cheeks heated. "Oh. Right. Talking."
Neither of them quite managed to meet the other's eyes, which was understandable in himself but Jei was... Jei. It was hard to imagine that the same man who had handled the whole brothel issue with such casual ease would be having the same fluttering, uncertain feeling as Ekaitz. Had all that confidence merely been a ruse? Or had the Avarri come instead to ask Ekaitz to leave him alone? His stomach flipped.
Jei fidgeted restlessly, his wings shifting position every few moments as though he wasn't quite certain what to do with them. His hands were firmly clasped behind his back, though from the way his arms twitched it didn't look like those were holding still very well either. Finally he drew in a deep breath and wrenched his gaze up to meet Ekaitz's eyes.
"Where the stars did you learn to kiss like that!?" Jei blurted. "I thought..." He abruptly snapped his mouth closed and looked away in embarrassment.
Ekaitz felt his cheeks heating as well. "Ah, I guess I did give that impression, didn't I?" He cringed, hoping devoutly that Jei was the only one who had actually witnessed his deplorable behaviour. "I'm thirty-eight years old, Jei. I don't think it's actually possible to make it that far without..." His face flushed further. "Ah... at least some experience..."
"Thirty-eight?" Jei repeated, sounding a little surprised. "Huh. You really don't look it." The security officer contemplated that for a moment, during which Ekaitz did his best not to squirm. The Captain part of him was anticipating that the beautiful young Avarri would (rightfully) decide that the age difference was too great. The part of him that was just Ekaitz, however, was desperately hoping for just the reverse.
"So..." Jei leaned forward, his hands flat on the surface of Ekaitz's desk, those lovely crimson eyes far too close for the Elivin's peace of mind. "Back there... on the planet..." Why couldn't Ekaitz manage to look away from that hypnotic gaze? "You kissed me back."
Could a man get fired for kissing his junior officer in an effort to avoid detection while undercover at a whorehouse? Ekaitz's chest felt strangely tight. "Would you prefer I hadn't?"
"I, oh, Stars!" Jei's face twisted into a grimace and then suddenly he was halfway across the desk, one hand wrapping behind Ekaitz's neck, the other still on the desk to steady himself, his lips hot and demanding as they covered Ekaitz's own.
The heady rush was just the same the second time as it had been the first, wet and fiery and consuming as their tongues sparred. He didn't remember yanking Jei off the desk and into his lap, but he was quite aware of managing to get one hand up the back of the man's shirt as Jei positively keened when his questing touch brushed against the strong muscle where the planes of his back gave way to wings. The Avarri arched in his lap, their cloth-covered groins brushing together in a way that made them both moan and break apart, panting.
"That would be a 'no' then," Ekaitz observed, then yanked Jei back down for another bruising kiss. Deft fingers undid the fastenings of his shirt, reaching inside to caress his skin and tease his nipples, then abruptly those same hands were swiftly undoing his pants and Ekaitz had to force them apart again.
"Not..." He struggled to catch his breath. "Not here..."
Eyes to put the finest Fornarian ruby to shame pouted at him even as their owner sucked in long-denied air as well. "Why not?"
Ekaitz grimaced. "Because half the crew, if not more, knows how to manipulate the locks on this ship and they all consider my office to be free territory."
Jei winced. "Oh." He didn't move from Ekaitz's lap, if anything he wriggled closer, thinking furiously. "Is there anywhere private? With that Gremlin around..."
Ekaitz chuckled quietly. "Oddly enough, Tau Ceti is the least of my worries. He has his own feelings about privacy." He considered. "Enough so that he rigged all the doors in the personal areas to respond only to me, him, and their owners. How do you feel about seeing what the Captain's quarters look like?"
The response, though wordless, was entirely affirmative.
Ekaitz awoke feeling warm, sated, and deliciously content, if a bit on the dry side. He groped blindly for the bottle of water that he knew was on a side table somewhere, having to sit up and order the light intensity increased a little when it didn't immediately turn up. The water bottle had fallen to the floor at some point and he retrieved and drained it before twisting around to see if his restlessness had awoken his lover.
The bed was empty. Dropping the bottle, Ekaitz threw back the covers and retrieved his in-lens, searching for any priority missives that would have drawn the security officer away. Nothing. Undaunted, he yanked his trousers back on and ordered the internal scanners to locate Jei, tensing when the result came back. What was the Avarri doing in the transport room?
Not bothering with the rest of his clothing, Ekaitz bolted out the door and down the corridors to the lift, fidgeting impatiently during the minimal delay as the lift carried him up several floors. There was a reason Jei had crept out while he was asleep. There was a reason he was in the transport room when no orders had been given. There had to be.
He was through the lift doors practically before they'd finished opening, his heart pounding in his chest as he ran the rest of the way to the transport room, more alarmed than he cared to admit when the doors didn't immediately open. He punched in his override access code with slightly more force than was strictly necessary and stepped inside, stopping short at the sight.
Jei was there, but he wasn't alone. Sigma was there as well, on his knees and struggling futilely against some kind of invisible bonds, his eyes gone wide with alarm and a cold anger. He was still wearing the medium grey 'uniform' he tended to prefer while on duty, which most likely meant that Tau Ceti wasn't yet aware that there was anything wrong.
As Ekaitz stared, Jei's face went as pale as it could beneath his dark skin, the tips of his wings trembling.
"Jei..." Ekaitz managed to force out.
Jei flinched back as though struck, the trembling worsening. "Ekaitz, I..." He swallowed audibly. "It wasn't supposed to be this way. It was just... just another job... I never expected..." The Avarri bit his lip, taking two steps back so that he was standing just next to Sigma on the transport pad.
"I'm sorry," Jei whispered, then the transporter came to life and they were gone.
For several long moments Ekaitz could only stare in disbelief, his heart hammering in his chest as it attempted to wrench itself right out of his body. This couldn't be happening. It simply wasn't possible. No one but the High Chancellor even knew Ekaitz and the Ice Princess existed. Sigma was officially 'retired' on some obscure planet out in the middle of nowhere. There was absolutely no way that Jei had just kidnapped his Second officer.
Except that he had.
Ignoring the way his heart wanted to shatter into a thousand tiny pieces, Ekaitz swiftly called up the controls on the transporter, trying to determine where they'd gone. The Ice Princess should be in the middle of space, which could only mean... Yes. Another ship. Already out of transport range and moving fast.
"Not fast enough," he snarled and bolted back out of the transport room. "Meiki, Fe'yiv."
There was no response from either of the two who should have been manning the bridge. Ekaitz's blood chilled and he forced himself to run that much faster. "Jayce! Dralikkzion!"
A few moments later there was one, then two sleepy acknowledgements. "Meet me on the bridge, now," Ekaitz snapped, all but throwing himself bodily into the lift and wanting to scream at how slow the better than state of the art technology seemed to move when your entire world was falling apart.
Down yet another hallway - too long, far too long - Ekaitz was forced to come up short as the bridge doors didn't immediately open for him. Again he had to manually override them, and they were sluggish to respond when he did. His heart leapt into his throat at the sight of his two officers slumped over their consoles. They weren't... Jei wouldn't... He sighed in relief to find two sets of steady pulses, then reached over Meiki's shoulder to set a pursuit course. There was no ship ever built that could outrun the Ice Princess.
He'd just finished laying the course and sending the command codes to initiate when the pounding of footsteps alerted him that Jayce and Dralikkzion had just made their appearance. He spun, catching a brief glimpse of the two sleep-muddled, barely dressed men before there was a muffled boom and they were all knocked off their feet.
"What the fuck was that?" Jayce demanded, then a far more intimidating voice sounded over the speakers.
"What did you do to my ship!?" Tau Ceti screamed, the fury in the Gremlin's voice unmistakable.
"Tau Ceti, you are needed on the bridge right now." Ekaitz was distantly amazed at how steady his voice sounded. "That goes for everyone else as well. I want everybody up here in the next two minutes, decent or not. Xalin, bring a medkit."
Jayce and Dralikkzion were both staring at him, uncharacteristically silent. He snapped out orders and the two helped him get Meiki and Fe'yiv laid out on the floor. Dralikkzion was still kneeling over the two unconscious officers when Xalin arrived, though Jayce had slipped into one of the two control chairs and was running a systems check.
Q'inn and Volar arrived shortly thereafter, Volar going to assist Xalin while Q'inn went immediately to Ekaitz's side. "What's going on?" the Hellcat asked.
Ekaitz shook his head. "Not yet, I still need..."
Right on cue Tau Ceti appeared, Irinar just behind him. The Gremlin was absolutely livid, then the anger abruptly turned to shock as he spotted Meiki and Fe'yiv with the two medical officers bending over them. "What. Happened?"
"Jei was a plant," Ekaitz said flatly, feeling the startled ripple around him as the remaining crewmembers started at his words. "It looks like his primary mission on our ship was to kidnap a member of our crew."
There were several indrawn breaths, then Tau Ceti went nearly white. He twisted to look around the room, in-specs flashing as he frantically accessed the computer. "No... Sigma... where is Sigma!?"
Before Ekaitz had a chance to reply, Jayce began cursing fluently and pounded a fist on the edge of his control board. "The engines aren't responding. We're fucking dead in the water and those bastards are getting away from us!"
With an inhuman cry the likes of which Ekaitz had never heard before, Tau Ceti spun and sprinted off the bridge, no doubt heading for the engine room. Irinar took off on his heels to do the same, her eyes wide and frightened. No one else moved for a long moment, then Xalin's voice said quietly, "Meiki and Fe'yiv will be fine. Neither has suffered any permanent damage, though they'll both likely wake up with an impressive headache."
"How... how could something like this happen?" Q'inn snarled, his tail lashing furiously as his claws clenched and reclenched. "This ship doesn't fucking exist!"
"I don't know," Ekaitz said quietly. "Jayce, Zion, status of our communications systems."
The Fornarian slid into his seat while the Vrill slowly called up the appropriate systems. "Looks like they're still operational..."
"Put out a Locate and Detain on that ship that ran from us, Priority Zero." Ekaitz drew in a slow breath and ran a hand through his unbound hair. "Then get me the High Chancellor."
Jayce hesitated. "It's 03:30 Zero time..."
Ekaitz sighed quietly. Could this day possibly get any worse? He'd be lucky to end up on a Sardoran freighter once this mess was over.
"I'm aware of that, Jayce. Put the call through."
While he waited for the connection to be picked up on the other end, Ekaitz located Sigma's in-specs. The kidnappers' escape ship was still within range of their equipment and hadn't yet adjusted course. With the Ice Princess's enhanced systems, they had another forty-five minutes or so before things got ugly. If they had any luck left in this disaster, Tau Ceti would be able to get the engines back on line and operational before they reached that point.
If not, he was just going to have to hope they could track that blasted ship however far it decided to run. Though the longer it took to take up the pursuit, the slimmer their chances became. Especially if the kidnappers went through a light gate.
Shoving that thought firmly out of mind, Ekaitz evaluated the Ice Princess's systems. Whatever had taken out their engines seemed to have only taken out the engines. All other systems appeared to be completely operational, as far as he could tell. Nothing behaved quite the same as on a 'normal' ship, and he was still adjusting to the entirely custom-built systems.
"Got him," Jayce announced quietly, then the shirtless, slightly sleep-muddled image of the High Chancellor appeared on the main screen. He took in the similarly disarrayed status of Ekaitz and his crew and straightened, pale blue eyes going frighteningly intense.
"Captain Kai. What's happened?"
Ekaitz ran a hand through his tangled hair. "Our new security officer turned out to be a plant. We don't know how much he knows about the ship, but I don't think it's the Ice Princess he was after, as he took Sigma with him when he left. Our engines are crippled; Tau Ceti's down there now, but I haven't gotten any sort of estimate on how long it's going to take him to fix them. I've put out an L&D on the ship, and Dralikkzion is transmitting all the data we have on them to you now."
The High Chancellor went so still he could have been carved from ice. His expression betrayed nothing, the ultimate unreadable mask of a lifetime politician. His eyes flicked once, briefly, to the incoming data on his screen, then his lips narrowed the slightest bit. "The Ice Princess is Classified. Without access to my systems..." Those pale eyes flashed, and Ekaitz was abruptly extremely glad to have two quadrants between himself and the High Chancellor. "Keep me informed. I'll reroute every ship I can spare in the area."
Ekaitz nodded once, then the call abruptly ended. He dropped into his chair with a pained sound, rubbing at his temples. His skin was feeling dry again and the bottle next to his chair was empty. Until Tau Ceti got the engines working again there was practically nothing he could do except to go over every detail of every moment he'd spent in Jei's presence and look for whatever clues there might have been. He already had the man's file up on Sigma's in-specs, though it had most likely been faked, and there was nothing there to help him.
Hauling himself back out of his chair with a muffled curse, he grabbed the empty bottle and headed down to the medical room. Xalin had most likely relocated Meiki and Fe'yiv there while he was otherwise occupied, and there was always the possibility that Jei had said something to one of them before rendering them unconscious.
As he swore at the lift for the third time that morning, Ekaitz reflected that it was entirely in keeping with the rest of his life that he'd finally manage to find the one man who was absolutely perfect for him, only to have that man turn out to be a traitor. The cosmos was evidently having one enormous laugh at his expense.
To Part Three
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-10 12:49 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-11 02:36 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-10 01:27 am (UTC)*pokes story* Fix it!!
Aside from that, loved, loved the brothel scenes. And the impatience and emotion that Ekaitz and I just went through. Uh. You've outdone yourself, m'dear.
But, seriously. Fix it.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-11 02:47 am (UTC)... gonna get lynched for it, but I did good! ^^;; *duck*
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-10 01:36 am (UTC)(Also, regarding your comment earlier that you're having to keep careful track... does it make you feel any better to know that I have written down the names and pairs of all of the main characters from your and Maderr's and a handful of other writers' stories? With all the nifty crisscrossing you guys do I have to keep track or I wind up wanting to pair up the wrong people - I spent like five minutes thinking about Sigma and the twins before I remembered pretty little jeweller boy. ^_^)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-11 02:48 am (UTC)*laugh* Sigma has issues with those twins. ^^; They're far better off with their pretty. ;)
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-10 02:04 am (UTC)I'm starting to think you've set a goal of sorts to write slash stories covering every possible cliche or genre out there. Not that I'm complaining, mind. It's very impressive and means more drool-worthy stories to read!
Hee. Even though Pyotr only got like a paragraph in this part, he's still one of the coolest characters in this universe.
... Btw, whatever happened to Hanli, that healer for the half-cyborg captain?
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-11 02:50 am (UTC)o.o? I have? 9.9 Huh. I thought I wrote Fluff in various fantasy settings.. ^^; Heh. *grin*
Pyotr is Love. I worship him. Yus. ^______^
>.>; That's... on the list of 'to work on' ^^;; Heh. Got sidetracked... >.>;
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-10 03:07 am (UTC)ARG. Just when romance and true love and instant chemistry..and you..you..you..you Tau is going to kill Jei..probably with torture depending on if Sigma is hurt. (I. will. help.)
Its the evil jealous twin gremlin brother isn't it. grrrrrrrr.
And if this thing doesn't post.. again.. and throws another error message at me I will get out my own sonic screwdriver and do my exceedingly good gremlin imitation.
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-11 02:50 am (UTC)Oooh, sonic screwdriver... >.> Note to self, use that at some point...
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-11 03:26 am (UTC)...You probably knew all that..*sigh* but just in case. *smile*
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-13 02:25 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-10 04:23 am (UTC)COME BACK HERE!!! YOU CAN'T LEAVE IT THERE!!!
I KEEP HITTING REFRESH BUT THERE ISN'T ANY MORE SHOWING UP.. WHY ISN'T THERE MORE O_O
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-11 02:51 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-10 09:52 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-11 02:52 am (UTC)Of course I am writing while running. Maderr would have my head if I didn't. ^^;;
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-11 02:54 pm (UTC)Comment before I read, since your post pretty much prompts this...
Date: 2007-01-10 02:05 pm (UTC)*stalks off to read now*
Re: Comment before I read, since your post pretty much prompts this...
Date: 2007-01-11 02:53 am (UTC)Re: Comment before I read, since your post pretty much prompts this...
Date: 2007-01-12 07:45 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-10 02:33 pm (UTC)I'm going to be so mopey at work tomorrow and it's all your fault,
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-11 02:54 am (UTC)... >.> I think I need to go over here and write now before I get mobbed...
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-11 12:21 am (UTC)Still... *______________________________________________________*!!!!
1) Poor Sigma, getting kidnapped.
2) Oh man, I would not want to be around Tau Ceti until he gets his Sigma back. *huggles him* Poor guy. ;_;
3) Ah, Ekaitz ;_; Geez, Jei, just rip his heart out and stomp on it after you've gotten nookie from him.
4) I'm so dead curious as to who planted Jei and why and why Sigma.
5) The brothel and the whole operation? *_______________________________*!!
6) You are so COOL! *__________* And I'm so dying to know what happens next. Seriously, this is *amazing*!
GYAH! *squeals happily and then sits somewhat impatiently to wait for more* You rock the universe and all the planets in it. *________________*
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-11 02:56 am (UTC)Tau Ceti = SCARYGREMLINRAWR!
Poor Ekaitz. I seem to like picking on him. >.>;
^_______^ Oooh, sekkrits! Read on, m'dear, read on...
*grin* Blame M for the brothel. She gave me the idea.
^^;; Yay! I make good stories! *waves her own flags* ^^;; Hee...
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-11 12:54 am (UTC)Poor Ekaitz. Poor Tau Ceti. :(
Actually, poor everyone who has to deal with Tau Ceti until they get Sigma back! LOL
Hmm...Looking forward to finding out why Jei was sent after Sigma, in particular. I hope he redeems himself!
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-11 02:57 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-11 06:41 am (UTC)It's probably not right that I'm torn between liking the kidnapping bit and the captain's office sceen bit the best. Plot pwns my soul. ::glomps on you:: Though now I want to know what Jei's motives are, and who he's working for, and what he was thinking sleeping with Ekaitz, whether he knew it would be just a one-time thing and he knew how much it would be unhappy to leave or if he was just going with the flow and it slapped him upside the head after. (and of course I want to see them back together and happy or Jei dead of Tau and Ekaitz settled with someone who won't be a traitor).
And the traitor bit! ^__________^ I can't wait until Ekaitz's past is revealed completely, totally, and if it'll be revealed to anyone else (the crew) and their reactions to it. ::Glomps you again::
There was something else, but i'm forgetful. ::stops with the babble now:: ^__________^
(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-13 02:38 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-13 02:42 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-13 02:44 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-13 02:45 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2007-01-17 10:26 pm (UTC)(There are many other wonderful highlights to this chapter I could comment upon, but forgive me if I go directly to the next chapter instead. Sort of a bad moment to take a break.)