to be sexual, but the meeting of skin was electric, thrilling, and his whole arm seemed to tingle.
"Why?" he asked. "Why now?"
Phae slid her hand down his shoulders, across his back until it alighted on his lower back. She pulled their hips together, pressing against him and moving in slow, circular motions. "Does it really matter?"
She went in for another kiss. Corwin held her fast, but he could feel his resolve waning. "Yes. It does. To me."
She rolled her eyes. "Because I'm horny and Maharatha, and you are the only Human here that won't make me fall to jendr." She pressed in again.
With his free hand, Corwin swept her hand from his hip. At the same time he spun, using the hand on her chest to drive her backward into the wall. The impact knocked the wind from her. Her lips worked as she gasped for air. Corwin put his now stony and impassive face into hers. "You will not use me and recycle me like an empty protein carton."
He left Phae there panting at the wall, walked into the medical room, and sat down on the edge of one of the empty beds. "Do what you need to do, and do it fast," he said, surprised at the cold in his voice. He dismissed it with a mental shrug. He had a job to do here, and cavorting with a Void member wasn't part of that.
As the Medics stitched at his various hurts, Corwin glowered. He was at a loss for his next steps. He'd need to report mission success to his handler at the Oniwabanshu and would receive new orders as a result, though he couldn't leave until he made contact with the Inquest Operative in the area.
Corwin's com chimed. He leaned back to keep the view screen out of sight of the Medics and thumbed the new message open; it lacked name or number. The message read:
Question: "Have you ever tasted anything so grand?"
You Answer: "Once, when I was younger."
From the Inquest operative, then, he thought. Corwin read the message one more time and deleted it then closed his com.
"All right, sir," the lead Medic said. "You and your Voidmates are ready to go. Maharatha Kai will need another twelve hours yet, and Maharatha Niwin another six or so."
"Fine. Good work."
"You give us dreng, sir," Channa said with a bow.
As the last Medic filed through the door, Phae entered. She brushed past Corwin and slid onto the empty bed on the opposite side of the room. Corwin locked the door with his passcode, dimmed the lights to almost black and returned to his own bed. "Get some sleep," he said. "Once Kai is up we'll shower and grab some food."
No answer but the slow breath of sleep. Corwin lay back, but sleep was a long time coming as memories of battle and fantasies of a woman rolled through his mind like a summer storm.
A knock at the door just over eleven hours later brought all four Maharatha to their feet — Kai with a groan — with guns in their hands. After raising the lights and checking through the keypad's viewfinder, Corwin opened the door.
The Medics from before waited just outside the door, wary of the Maharatha bristling with weaponry.
"We came to check in on your healing progress, sirs and ma'ams," the lead Medic said. "With your permission, we'd like to enter."
Corwin slid back onto his bed and waved them in with his free hand. From the corner of his eye, he thought he caught a glimpse of Phae staring at him, but when he glanced in her direction, she'd looked away.
The Medic and her team stifled coughs and scrunched noses as they walked into the room. It was a commendable act, as the four battle-worn Maharatha had yet to shower. The smell was overpowering.
The Medics went about their business, and Corwin paid them no mind, thinking again of his next course of action. They needed to report their mission completion, and soon, but he was reluctant to jump back out into the field to kill again. His stomach rumbled, reminding him of their enforced fast yesterday; he caught a whiff of himself, too. Priorities. First a shower, then food, then report in. The Republic could survive a
"Why?" he asked. "Why now?"
Phae slid her hand down his shoulders, across his back until it alighted on his lower back. She pulled their hips together, pressing against him and moving in slow, circular motions. "Does it really matter?"
She went in for another kiss. Corwin held her fast, but he could feel his resolve waning. "Yes. It does. To me."
She rolled her eyes. "Because I'm horny and Maharatha, and you are the only Human here that won't make me fall to jendr." She pressed in again.
With his free hand, Corwin swept her hand from his hip. At the same time he spun, using the hand on her chest to drive her backward into the wall. The impact knocked the wind from her. Her lips worked as she gasped for air. Corwin put his now stony and impassive face into hers. "You will not use me and recycle me like an empty protein carton."
He left Phae there panting at the wall, walked into the medical room, and sat down on the edge of one of the empty beds. "Do what you need to do, and do it fast," he said, surprised at the cold in his voice. He dismissed it with a mental shrug. He had a job to do here, and cavorting with a Void member wasn't part of that.
As the Medics stitched at his various hurts, Corwin glowered. He was at a loss for his next steps. He'd need to report mission success to his handler at the Oniwabanshu and would receive new orders as a result, though he couldn't leave until he made contact with the Inquest Operative in the area.
Corwin's com chimed. He leaned back to keep the view screen out of sight of the Medics and thumbed the new message open; it lacked name or number. The message read:
Question: "Have you ever tasted anything so grand?"
You Answer: "Once, when I was younger."
From the Inquest operative, then, he thought. Corwin read the message one more time and deleted it then closed his com.
"All right, sir," the lead Medic said. "You and your Voidmates are ready to go. Maharatha Kai will need another twelve hours yet, and Maharatha Niwin another six or so."
"Fine. Good work."
"You give us dreng, sir," Channa said with a bow.
As the last Medic filed through the door, Phae entered. She brushed past Corwin and slid onto the empty bed on the opposite side of the room. Corwin locked the door with his passcode, dimmed the lights to almost black and returned to his own bed. "Get some sleep," he said. "Once Kai is up we'll shower and grab some food."
No answer but the slow breath of sleep. Corwin lay back, but sleep was a long time coming as memories of battle and fantasies of a woman rolled through his mind like a summer storm.
A knock at the door just over eleven hours later brought all four Maharatha to their feet — Kai with a groan — with guns in their hands. After raising the lights and checking through the keypad's viewfinder, Corwin opened the door.
The Medics from before waited just outside the door, wary of the Maharatha bristling with weaponry.
"We came to check in on your healing progress, sirs and ma'ams," the lead Medic said. "With your permission, we'd like to enter."
Corwin slid back onto his bed and waved them in with his free hand. From the corner of his eye, he thought he caught a glimpse of Phae staring at him, but when he glanced in her direction, she'd looked away.
The Medic and her team stifled coughs and scrunched noses as they walked into the room. It was a commendable act, as the four battle-worn Maharatha had yet to shower. The smell was overpowering.
The Medics went about their business, and Corwin paid them no mind, thinking again of his next course of action. They needed to report their mission completion, and soon, but he was reluctant to jump back out into the field to kill again. His stomach rumbled, reminding him of their enforced fast yesterday; he caught a whiff of himself, too. Priorities. First a shower, then food, then report in. The Republic could survive a
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