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  Wings 2: Dominion of the Eth

  Wishes

  J.C. Owens

  Copyright Warning

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  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are fictitious or have been used fictitiously, and are not to be construed as real in any way. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales, or organizations is entirely coincidental.

  Published By:

  Etopia Press

  P.O. Box 66

  Medford, OR 97501

  http://www.etopia-press.net

  Wishes Copyright © 2012 by J.C. Owens

  ISBN: 978-1-937976-31-6

  Edited by Katriena Knights

  Cover by Mina Carter

  All Rights Are Reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  First Etopia Press electronic publication: May 2012

  Chapter One

  “Lieutenant Auri…” Auri slowed his pace and turned, trying to repress a sigh. He was beginning to regret his promotion. From the moment he had set foot on the ship Hagan Fell, he had been without rest. Had the previous officer left, or died of exhaustion?

  He controlled his expression to neutrality and faced his new aide, Fredan, raising one brow questioningly.

  The younger man was puffing with exertion, a worried frown pleating his brow. “Captain wants to see you, sir.”

  Auri drew a weary breath. “Is he aware I have been on duty for sixteen hours now and would perhaps appreciate eating, perhaps even sleeping?”

  The sarcastic comment only made the aide blink, and Auri resisted the urge to tap on his skull and ask if anyone was home. The answer would only have been no. Fredan was the perfect aide—able to listen to orders and pass on messages…and with no mind of his own to complicate things.

  Auri sighed. “Fine. I will go see him. See to the incoming supplies in bay eight. Make sure those idiots who call themselves dockmasters do not shortchange us and that Seri and crew know where to put the pallets. Not in the passageway between bays eight and seven, like last time.” He made Fredan repeat the orders, word for word, then watched the aide march off, hopefully to do his bidding. He pinched the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger, trying to forestall the headache that was beginning to get a foothold with his weariness.

  Gods…was there a mind on this ship, or did everyone wait for someone else to tell them what to do?

  He longed for his old ship, where he had been a mere third lieutenant. There was a ship run well, full of experienced, intelligent people who knew their jobs inside and out. He had been so excited when he got this promotion, so sure it would be exciting and further his military career, and here he was, stuck on a diplomatic cruiser with the possibility of action a million miles away. He strode down the

  passageways, ignoring the speculative looks he received from those he passed as they saluted him sloppily.

  It only made his temper rise, though his face stayed calm and cold. He knew he already had a nickname though he had only been here two weeks. Blade… He shook his head. As names went it was fine, certainly not mocking, but it was meant to indicate his cold, sharp nature. His lips thinned. There would be no friendships here, not that he had ever been particularly good at such things. Still, he had had Tania and Blais before, and they had always been able to still any loneliness he might have felt. He missed them…

  He shook himself free from the thoughts almost as they formed. He had no time for loneliness; he had to carve a place for himself here, then maybe…

  He raised a hand and rapped sharply on the captain’s door.

  “Come in.”

  Auri entered and came to attention sharply, saluting with crisp efficiency, eyes front and centered on the far wall.

  “Relax, Lieutenant. I am not conducting an analysis of your job performance.” The voice was lazily amused.

  Auri settled to parade stance, hands clasped behind him, feet apart and steady. “Yes, sir.” His tone held no inflection, no indication that he resented the faint mockery.

  A sigh resounded in the quiet office. “For the gods’ sake, sit, Lieutenant. You are giving me a neck ache looking up at you. Stop being so damn formal. We are not like that here.”

  Auri sat, meeting the brown eyes of his captain with a blank expression, revealing nothing.

  Captain Janred sat back in his chair, observing the young man with a faint frown.

  “You are settling in well, I have heard. We are actually getting things done, unlike under Lieutenant Naren…” The tone said much about the absent man, though professionalism prevented much more from being stated. “It is good that you are so efficient, but if you need more assistance, do not hesitate to say so. Another aide perhaps…”

  Auri could not stop his brows from rising. “No, thank you, sir,” he responded politely. “Fredan is quite enough.” Unspoken was the thought that if he had another like him, his job would be twice as hard, as he had to check out everything himself to ensure it was done properly.

  Janred frowned more deeply. “General Asnar recommended you to me for this job, but he wanted you to be able to have less stress than you endured under his command.”

  Auri felt himself tense, his lips thinning. He had not known of this communication between the two men. He had merely thought this position was part of his promotion.

  “Was the general concerned that my performance was below par?” His tone was calm, but with a cold edge.

  “No, he was glowing in his praise of you, in fact.” Janred did not add that his old friend had mentioned that this particular young man was a favorite of his, someone who had come up through the ranks the old fashioned way—by talent rather than family connections.

  Auri relaxed. “Then it is fine, captain. I am not stressed. The General is much too worried about his people. There is no need for concern on your part. I am well capable of doing my job.”

  The captain’s brow furrowed. Asnar had felt this young man was heading for a breakdown with his insatiable perfectionism and need for control. Janred could well see it in Auri, but at this point did not know him well enough to devise a plan of action to help him change his uptight behaviors. That could only come with further acquaintance and analysis.

  “I have no doubt in your abilities, Lieutenant. Just see that you take the time to care for yourself. I would not have you in sick bay because of overwork.”

  Auri raised a brow again, thinking that if Naren had been made to do his job properly, he would not have to be working his butt off to fix past mistakes, but he said nothing, merely nodded in agreement.

  Janred shifted topics. “We will be leaving at noon tomorrow, carrying a diplomatic entourage bound for a meeting with the Felinians. It will be a large group, and all arrangements have already been made for extra supplies. They will be arriving tonight, and we must be running and ready for when they arrive. The moment they board, we must be ready to leave.”

  Auri stared at him. “I have not prepared the bays…”

  “This is fine. The
y will send people with the supplies, and are experienced enough to know where they must go. They have done this often, Lieutenant.”

  Auri chewed his lip unconsciously. “But…” He drew himself up then, chastising himself. One does not sound uncertain. Ever.

  “I will ensure that the dock crew is ready to receive any and all shipments, Captain.”

  Janred could see the younger man’s tension, and he had to prevent himself from rolling his eyes.

  “I know it seems sudden and urgent to you, Lieutenant, but this is exactly how most of our assignments will be. We will not know until the last moment, and utmost secrecy is kept at all times. Once we know of an assignment, no personnel are allowed to enter or leave the ship. We are completely contained from that time until we return and our passengers have left. Security is our main concern.” He smiled then, eyes crinkling. “We have two speeds, Lieutenant. Wait and go. It will be extremely boring in between and extremely tense during the times that we are responsible for the security and success of diplomatic missions and talks.” He waited, but there was no answering smile from the serious younger man, only a thinning of lips as he processed the information and absorbed it.

  Janred shook his head. It was going to take more than a break from active fighting to see Auri learn to relax. He would have to speak with Asnar about the Lieutenant’s past.

  He waved a hand in dismissal, already turning back to his paperwork. “Get some rest, Lieutenant. Things are going to get very, very busy shortly.”

  * * * As it turned out, Auri did not go back to his cabin directly. He was worried Fredan had not seen to his directions as well as could be and if these new people would be arriving and expecting space for supplies.

  It was late in the morning by the time he stumbled into his bunk and fell deeply asleep.

  He woke to his alarm blaring, blearily fumbling about with one hand until he could find it and smack the button, producing blessed silence. He sat up, knowing if he did not, he would fall asleep again. He sat on the edge of the bunk, staring into space, eyes refusing to open fully, his mind dull and slow.

  He finally registered the time and swore under his breath.

  Ten o’clock. Damn. That gave him only two hours to get himself together, eat, and ensure everything was perfect for the arrival of the diplomatic team.

  He rose with difficulty and went to the bathroom to relieve himself, before leaning on the sink and washing his hands, staring into the mirror with resignation.

  Light blue eyes stared back, dull with exhaustion. He fingered his chin, realizing it was time to go to the physician for another shot before his monthly supply of beard suppressant ran out. There was a darkness to his jaw that hinted that it was wearing off. He groaned. He really did not have time today, and of course the diplomats would be here. He would be on duty continually.

  He picked up the communicator and dialed the physician, finding there was an appointment immediately. He moved fast then, dressing, trying to gauge his remaining time. If he cut down on time in the cafeteria…

  A short time later, he entered the hall, rubbing his arm vigorously to remove the sting from the suppressant shot. Swiftly then he ordered his food and sat down at the officers’ table, making notes as to what had to be done before noon.

  The food arrived and he ate half heartedly, gulping in between thoughts as he scribbled.

  The voices at the next table did not penetrate his consciousness until he heard the word “Felinian.” That grabbed his attention as nothing else could.

  He had never fought in this quadrant of the empire before. He had met many races, but never had he encountered the Felinians, and he wanted to know more before the diplomatic team arrived and he displayed his ignorance.

  He knew the basics. They were cat people, very large in comparison to humans. They could change from utterly animal-like to faintly humanoid in moments. They were highly intelligent, and their planet held one of the largest deposits of illanium known. They also seemed to possess an energy weapon of great power, and all the Empire’s efforts to conquer the planet had been in vain despite their military might.

  The Felinians did not seem to have the same interest in conquering, fortunately for the Empire’s ego. They protected their own, but they did not travel. They were willing to trade amounts of the illanium ore, used for ship fuel and certain weaponry, for other goods, but it made the Empire nervous that they had no real hold over the cat people. The Felinians could trade that ore just as easily to rebellious groups that wished to test the Empire’s strength. Therefore, it was of prime importance to ensure the Felinians’ good will and continued trade with the Empire.

  How that must grate, Auri thought with a faint grin. Having to kowtow to an inferior race with barbaric animalistic tribes, when the Empire considered itself so superior.

  The three people at the next table, computer technicians by their insignias, were intent on discussing the Felinian stories they had heard, though by their attitude it was evident they had never actually seen one.

  “Make sure you don’t get too close to one,” the man teased his female coworker. “They use humans, you know.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Yes, yes, I am sure they want little old me for sex, no doubt.”

  He shook his head, eyes glinting. “Yes.” He leaned closer. “For their harems, though I am told they like human males better for the act.”

  She looked at him scornfully while the other young man at the table rolled his eyes and snorted.

  “You need a dose of reality, Richne,” the woman scoffed. “They don’t even travel, idiot. How the hell would they get humans?”

  The first shook his head, grinning. “Ah, but the stories go that they have developed a way.” He waited as they folded their arms disbelievingly.

  “Apparently, from what I was told by a political friend, after the great wars with the Empire many, many years ago, there was word put out that the Felinians could be very, very generous to those who wanted to be ‘looked after.’”

  “Yeah, right,” the woman huffed, a smirk of disbelief curving her lips. Auri could only agree silently.

  The man grinned wider, leaning close to his audience. “At first this led to kidnapped human men; traders who took them against their will. Now, who knows…”

  They stared at him, apparently trying to visualize this, and Auri felt himself swallow involuntarily, feeling sickness in his throat. Surely this had to be a lie.

  The woman echoed his unspoken thought. “I don’t believe you. You made that whole idea up. The Empire would do something about this if it were true. We have heard nothing.”

  The man shrugged and took a deep swallow of his drink before answering. “My friend is pretty serious about things like that. He did not want to believe it either, but he said a human had escaped two years ago and told of his ordeal. My friend said it is even written up in some political journal

  somewhere. I could try and find out from him which one. Then you will not be so skeptical.”

  There was silence, then the other man laughed uncertainly. “You show it to me, I will buy you drinks for a week.”

  “Done.” The first tech shook his hand, and then stood, looking at his data recorder. “Shit, I am going to be late. You can finish that sandwich for me.” He walked briskly out, leaving a ringing silence in his wake.

  Auri continued to scribble down notes, feeling the glance of the two remaining techs as they lowered their voices.

  “He has to be lying, right?” The woman sounded faintly ill.

  “I hope so. That is so sick. Kidnapping? Harems? Barbaric bastards.” They rose from the table, carting some food with them for snacks then, still arguing about it, they left.

  Auri shook the images from his mind with difficulty. He had seen and heard some strange and disturbing things in his travels, but this was…

  He stood abruptly, scooping up his half-finished sandwich. He had a lot to do, and for once he was glad.

  * * * By the time the supp
ly team arrived, Auri had the holds cleared and space provided for whatever they might need. The man in charge, named Astlani, was effusive in his appreciation.

  “Thank the gods fucking Naren got hoisted. He was a useless piece of shit, I tell you. Could not tell his ass from his nose and certainly could not organize storage worth a damn.”

  He shook Auri’s hand with great enthusiasm. “Glad to meet you, Lieutenant. Damn good to meet you. This is the cleanest I have ever seen this ship.” He twirled in place, eyes bright. “This is going to be a fucking breeze in comparison to before.” He rubbed his hands together, practically bouncing on his toes before clapping Auri on the back and rushing to the hatch to supervise the incoming pallets. “Not that way, you idiot. Geez, where did you fucking learn to drive?”

  Auri took a deep breath. Being around Astlani was a little like being out in space—you could not breathe for long before collapsing. The man had that effect on people. He was like a whirlwind of energy, most of it probably being drained from those who had to deal with him. Auri made sure to leave before the other man could return. He was too tired to deal with such a strong personality at any level right now. He checked and double-checked on the security forces on the ship, who were to meet with the security people on the diplomatic team, then made sure all accommodations had been seen to and assigned. He contacted the captain to assure him everything was ready, and Janred told him to go rest. He did not see any point in Auri having to be there for the arrival of the diplomats, when they would have plenty of time for such protocol on the trip to the Felinian home world.

  “You sound exhausted, Lieutenant. Sleep. I need you hale and whole for what will come.”

  Auri could not even get the energy to argue. If that was not an indication of his own state, nothing else was.

  He collapsed onto his bunk and, not bothering to undress, fell instantly and soundly asleep.

  He dreamed of being hunted by cats—lots and lots of cats.

  * * * He did not even wake when they left port, and when he finally opened his eyes, he felt the familiar feel of space and movement. His body and mind relaxed unconsciously. Always he had felt at home here, away from land, away from other people. Now there were only those on board the ship for him to deal with.