Page 11 of The Omega's Unexpected Bounty
One each side, against the grey metal walls, were three Alphas or as they called themselves Soturi. Some were light-skinned with thick muscles, others lean and dark. The rest were blond and red-headed in my side vision along with long blades.
The leader had no weapons, unlike his crew. No pistols, rifles, Vibro-Blades or weaponized flying silver orbs. That didn’t mean he was the easiest. Anybody in his line of work wasn’t overconfident, just confident. He pulled the silver globe from his black kilt pocket. It floated, then shot thin purple lines into the air. Within a few heartbeats, I saw a shimmering holographic image of my face. I blinked in admiration. It wasn’t old, so their records were excellent. Too many times, I had to search for someone with images ten years out of date. Their hologram showed my blond-brown hair swept over to my right. I must have been mad that day since I was frowning and had my eyebrows pinched together along with my usual dark stubble. A voice with a hint of an electronic wobble spoke out. “Caan Miller – Bounty Hunter. Planet of Operation: New Texas. Multiple counts of destruction, assault against Volardi citizens, trespassing on Volardi property, theft of–”
The commander raised a wide dark hand and bellowed. “Enough. Next prisoner.”
The same electronic voice spoke. “Nate Evans.” My father’s forehead wrinkled together, and his jaw muscles tightened. “Sexual assault with a chemical weapon against Volardi Royalty during a mating period, a Peter Lynn. Assault against Volardi Soturi Royalty– “
His eyes shone as his jaw clenched. “Security collar recording?”
A floating holographic image showed my father over someone during the early evening, and they had to be wearing a Mating Collar. The angle was from the other person’s perspective on the ground, and if what those four people told me months ago was correct, I knew exactly what was going on, and I was pretty sure who was on the ground. Physically my father looked the same except for the spiked-up hair and a thin line of beard along his jaw. The blue-green eyes were of someone else from twenty years ago. The fire, even confidence wasn’t in this guy next to me. You could almost believe they were two different people and maybe they were. The tinny audio played, and I heard him growl to a man I presumed was Peter. In a sick way, I hoped it was. Otherwise, he did this multiple times.
“Here’s what’ll happen,” said a younger him. “My cock is going into that sweet new ass pussy of yours. When we’re done, and I shoot my load into you, you’ll go into your bedroom and tell no one what happened.”
I glanced over at him, and his lips trembled. Tears went down his face, and quick sobs fell as he gulped.
“If you do... I got a rifle.”
I turned away in disgust. It took a while to track him down. Eventually, I found the four people – pirates really – who left them on the mining planet decades ago. I hoped they were liars even though that meant I would have four new enemies to take care of later. They said they gave him a chance, and they didn’t know everything at first. Also, I wasn’t the result of this attack.They told me the kind of man he was, and they were right.
The guards on both sides stood still as the professionals I knew they were, yet I could feel the bile in their stares. Technically, my father should have gotten the heaping of hate, but I sensed I was included. He got off the planet because of me, so I was with him and soiled in their eyes.
I already knew the answer before I asked, but I did it anyway. I stared at him while I saw the attack play out while he promised horrible things to Peter. All the nightmares I had about what a Soturi could do to me, he tried with him.
“Is this true?” I asked.
The man already cried, but he broke out into a full sob. Broken or cathartic I couldn’t tell. I can get a good sense for other people, but family was the hardest. He’s the last person I wanted to call that, but he was. The blood and DNA that made the man I saw in the video was in me. He tried to have his way with someone like Soturi do with their third sex. He would have if Peter’s mate didn’t come to the rescue. For the next twenty years, the roles were reversed, and I’m sure he got paid in kind.
The head guard spoke. “We have the additional destruction of Volardi property and two dead Volardi citizens and several from client races.” The orb bathed my arm in a purple light, and I semi-saw the claws over my bone amid my inner muscle tissue. “Obviously you’re the killer.”
I shrugged. “Looks that way, doesn’t it?”
His voice drew out. “Do you deny you killed the men down there?”
There was the temptation to say yes and fuck with him, but I learned a long time ago that some things weren’t worth it. My father on New Texas used to tell me: ‘If a man’s fighting all the time, that doesn’t leave much left for living.’ Besides, I did it. Whatever crimes my other father did, he didn’t dothisone. Sure he shot a few down there, but the commander wasn’t interested in him. Volardi destroy their enemies, and I killed two. It wasn’t the first time, but they weren’t wanted men.
“Wait here,” he said.
“That’s what I been doing.”
He turned with military precision and marched out of the room and into the outer hallway. Six guards were still with us, and so were the steady, watchful glares. The one person I knew I could count on was deactivated and slumped over as if a children’s toy. The other vague possibility stared at me harder than a Volardi looks at a Femeni in heat.
His gaze started at my brown hair, avoided my eyes and went to my jaw. His hand slowly stroked his own.
“Anything you want to say?” I asked.
“Is it true? You’re my–”
I stopped him before he could staythatword. “Twenty years ago,” I shouted. “You gave up someone. We were both there. That answer it?” I turned away before I could see his reaction, but I’m sure he saw my frown.
Maybe it would have been a tender moment eventually, but the captain returned, and he said one word. “Leave.” Without question, all six marched out into the hallway. The room lurched forward with a soft thump. He said nothing while I avoided my father’s gaze. Half a minute later, the door slid open, and my eyebrows rose to a pudgy white sim. Like most, this one was vaguely humanoid and tall. Volardi used them for sparring dummies, menial work and Tiny is based on the same technology – just smaller. We had chilly winters in my part of New Texas, and the kids made snowmen. What I saw reminded me of them.
“Leave us Captain,” it said.
Well… maybe not.Those didn’t talk or move.
Like with his men, he obeyed without question. White skin darkened until it was tan with a hint of red – the kind you’d get from being out in the sun regularly. A fat ‘snow’ head reverse melted into a chiseled jaw and side-swept dark brown-black hair with a purple stripe to the right. Muscles that wouldn’t look out-of-place back on my neighbor’s farm bulged out.
He wasn’t huge, but he was Soturi sized and as fit as the men who left. I swallowed hard and saw his flexed full thigh muscles under his brown cloth leggings.He must do a lot of running.He looked down with either angry or intense purple eyes. Maybe it was the ceremonial sword in his right hand that added to his attitude.
