Finding Sanctuary

Chapter Two

On the planet called Sanctuary it was Ann McCloud\'s turn to patrol. She saw the fireball and soared off to keep it from the hitting the city.
On the way she imaged it with her tachyon vision. There was a man inside! He was no Arion and not Vel or Krypt\' either. Maybe he was an enhancee; but if so it wasn\'t much of an enhancement. Still he seemed to be alive and she would try to keep him that way. She guided the ship as gently as she could to the ground somewhere outside of city limits.
The man got up and moved towards the airlock: he was conscious and mobile. at least. Ann could see how badly he was hurt, and that the airlock controls were shot. No problem for her though; she just ripped them off. The ship was toast anyway and she wanted to know who it was and why he was the only person on board. It was not a large ship but it wasn\'t a lifeboat either. After removing the inner airlock door more carefully she saw him standing with hands raised and trying to look non-threatening. She smiled amused. \"I am not about to harm you, Terran.\"
He put his hands down. \"You may wish to change your mind later. But listen to my whole story first and I think we can be of great benefit to each other. Will you promise to listen to my whole story before deciding what to do with me?\"
\"Are you a fleeing criminal?\"
\"No. I am a political exile, although I freely admit to not going quietly into the exile planned for me. I have killed nobody in my escape although I did steal this ship from a people my former government is at war with.\"
He chuckled bitterly.

\"Of course we are officially at war with every people I am aware of that have star travel. Our so-called leaders keep us in a state of emergency -- us against the universe -- to justify their actions and the actions they would have us do. It was exposing just how little of what they say is true that got me exiled. They asked why I would do such a thing after 30 years of service, but I wonder why I took so long to see how bad they are. Most of us are like people anywhere but our leaders are not elected, they do not officially answer to anyone but the High Council as a whole.

\"I worked for a member of that august body and I discovered he was corrupt. He was barely hiding it. He thought no one would punish him for his excesses and he was right. I tried to meet with the Chairman in private to discuss my suspicions and was brushed off twice and the third time he directed me to remember my oath and where my loyalties lay. I did. My oath was to serve my race, to sacrifice myself if it was necessary to make them safe and happy. My loyalty was not to these fat, evil men, making promises they never even attempted to keep, turning a blind to each other\'s \'indiscretions.\' That\'s what he called them you know, indiscretions.\"

He looked at her with haunted eyes. \"I was a soldier and then a spy for 30 years altogether and what I learned about him still made me sick to my stomach. The minister of Justice said it was out of his hands and if the High Council knew of what he did then they have no morals left at all. It was when they told me that they would retire me to the country with a nice pension that I woke up and smelled what was coming.\"
\"The retirement they had planned for you was permanent wasn\'t it?\"
This was spoken by And\'ril, who was nodding as if he knew what Jason had gone through and what was coming next.
\"That\'s what they told me too. Fortunately I found Ann here and she has made my declining years golden. One thing bothers me. You seem very standard Terran but you do not look old enough to have witnessed everything you describe although the look on your face is one I have unfortunately seen before so I believe you but what branch of humanity could you be to live so long with so little apparent aging?\"
Jason felt like putting his hands up again, but there was no help for it and no real reason to stall.
\"Well you have listened to most of my story so hopefully you will not kill me out of hand. If as it seems you can have Arions and Velorians living here in peace then maybe you will give me a chance. I swear I mean you no harm but I am Diaboli.\"
\"The race created by the foes of the Galen?\"
\"Yes, although we rebelled against them about a thousand years ago to go our own way. Or so the history books say. I know I\'ve never seen an Elder. Or maybe I just didn\'t know it. Anyway, I killed the bastard councillor in his own disintegration chamber and I vanished. I\'m trained to do that, but doing it on the homeworld is much harder.
\"I figured before they killed me, I\'d tell people. I commandeered a holographic broadcast at a station where they knew I worked for the government and told my story. I think I shocked the hell out of them because I was two thirds done before they caught me. They put out rumors I had been erratic for awhile and finally snapped. They televised a trial with an actor in playing me very convincinglu as an agent who is losing his grip. I know he was good because they let me watch the trial live.
\"They were \'lenient\' and sentenced me only to exile. It made me see how far the rot had spread. Still I am hoping that those good people who work and play and laugh and depend on their government to keep them safe heard me and perhaps if they believe something can be done. For them, not me.
\"I can never go back home. They\'ll send others to find me and silence me forever so I can\'t live openly on any planet ships normally call at. If I were willing to live a lie for the rest of my life, I might escape notice in some backwater -- but I don\'t want that. I gambled on you taking me in because I\'d rather die than not have a home and spend the rest of my life lying to people and looking over my shoulder.\"
\"Just how did you find us and could you have been followed? Will they trace you here to Sanctuary and bring death and destruction among us for hiding you?\"
Ann looked worried for her people but at least she didn\'t seem to considered him a demon -- she hadn\'t killed him yet. Jason knew he could not stop her. Diaboli were no match for Protectors or Primes in general. They needed numbers to make up the difference in power and, and his own magic was exhausted in ant case. The nearby man, moreover, looked like a supremis himself. Jason thought about Ann\'s questions and answered them as truthfully as he could.
\"I am sure nobody followed me. The way I left is known to less than a hundred and usable by only a few dozen -- who are, with the exception of the High Councillors, all off-planet. The Council never leaves the planet and it will take time to recall anyone with sufficient power and training to be able to follow my trail even to Kelsor 7. I can\'t imagine them pulling more than four away from their duties to go after me. I do not boast when I say I was one of the best operatives they have.
\"I do not think even a full team could follow the trail I took across the stars but nothing is impossible or I wouldn\'t be here. Still they never send more than four of us anywhere. I\'m sure you could kill them if you could spot them -- and I can help you spot them. I\'ll tell everything I know about how we operate and what we are capable of doing. All I ask is to be able to live in peace under my own name and without hiding what I am.
\"In return I will do my best to help you safeguard this world against my former colleagues and will fight them with you if they come. However I feel obligated to tell you that if you kill me here and now they will read that in your brain and leave you alone. Once I am dead you are safe from any Diaboli searching for me and I very much doubt any will find this place accidentally.\"
He took a deep breath.
\"So now you have heard my whole story and you have heard my offer. Its up to you now but if its not too much trouble may I ask you for a place to sleep? I am quite exhausted from piloting this bucket of bolts through that damn wormhole of yours. I\'m sure you want to keep an eye on me while you discuss and I don\'t think I could go very far anyway so maybe I\'ll just sleep here under the stars.\"
Jason lay down and was soon fast asleep at their feet. Ann had worried about his sudden collapse and after undressing him to put him to bed. She had stayed to keep an eye on him. If her descendants had the knowledge and abilities he could bequeath as well those of her children then Sanctuary would be safe even if found. They would be able to defend their planet against anyone but the Galen themselves or the Elders…..
If only he would and could contribute his unique gifts to her line. The poor man, even in his sleep he stirred at the lightest footfall. He must be so terribly lonely. His people had used him cruelly and he apparently found little peace even in his sleep. She floated cross-legged to one side of him as she watched over him so as to disturb him as little as possible.
Jason awoke quietly. He kept his eyes closed and stayed still. It had become a habit for him to wake silently and take stock before opening his eyes because he so often awoke far from home. He was stiff and sore and he sensed he had been asleep along time. He listened and heard no sounds of breathing or footsteps. Considering where he was that did not mean he was alone but to gather any more information he must open his eyes and stop feigning sleep. He opened them and saw a woman floating nearby watching him. It was the woman from the ship floating there in a Protector\'s uniform.
\"How are you feeling?\"
\"Well enough. I guess you decided to take me up on my offer?\"
\"Well actually I had a counter offer in mind. Would you like breakfast while you hear it?\"
At the mention of food his stomach growled.
\"Yes food would be welcome but I doubt its still breakfast time.\"
He sat up with a twinge and looked around the room. Sure enough, it seemed to afternoon from the position of the sun.
\"No matter. You are just waking up and that makes it breakfast.\"
She lowered herself to her feet and walked out of the room.
Jason got out of bed and took a hot shower. He felt much better afterwards. Looking around he saw it was obviously a guest bathroom as it had things no Supremis needed such as toothbrushes and razors plus the soap and shampoo he had used in the shower.
After he came out he looked about for something to put on. He found nothing but he was not shy or phobic about such exposure so it was no hardship for him. Then Ann came in with a breakfast tray and she was wearing nothing either. He smiled, the body of any Supremis especially one who wore the V ring of a Protector was a thing of beauty. Sculpted perfection that was truly best appreciated nude.
Nothing awkward about her as she set the tray on a side table and sitting took a mug for herself.
\"Myra and Ben have got me into coffee so I hope you don\'t if I join you?\"
\"I don\'t mind at all.\" He sat next to her and surveyed the breakfast, it consisted of a very fluffy looking omelet with homefries, sausage links and buttered toast. \"Wow, this looks great. I did not think Supremis went in for cooking much.\"
\"One of my daughters cooked that; she\'s been trying to get a feel for Terran cooking. She\'ll be glad to hear you like it. If you notice anything off please let me know. She prefers honest feedback to flattery. Well, at least most of the time.\" She sipped at her mug and continued, \"While you eat I\'ll tell you my story.\"
As he ate and later as he sipped his second cup of coffee she told her story. She told me about growing up in a lab on Velor and about the experiment with Aphrodite. She told of her flight from Velor and her meeting And\'ril. Then she told of her wandering Krypt\'terran lover and her three children by him and the surprise conception of her youngest daughter Myra. When related how she met Ben his eyes widened. He told her he had heard about that ship from his shift boss on Kelsor 7, but never made a connection between that story and this world.
He told her how he had been desperately seeking a destination unknown to his people that he could reach in a Kelsorian ship and, after hearing rumors about an expedition that had beem declared top secret, had tapped the mind of a P1 who had gone there for asylum after refusing her Rites and joined the Survey Service.
\"She is known to us,\" Ann said. \"She is the only one among the Kelsorians who knows where Aayla came from. Or Klara. But what did you hear about the other story -- about Ben\'s ship?\"
\"It said that after a bad transit caused by stellar disturbance they sighted an Arion Battleship attacking a Velorian citizen, presumably a Protector, flying through space without a ship and that their Velorian passenger, against all advice, left the ship to try and rescue her. It also said that they waited as long as they could but were forced to retreat by the Arion ship. No mention of your hair color and certainly no hint that they left him to his fate or that either of you could have survived. Given that report there should have been some grief but no official investigation.\"
\"I\'m glad about that last part and from Ben\'s story I know he won\'t be badly missed and I am certain he is happier here.\" She stood up, \"If you are finished would you mind walking with me and telling me about your powers? I have heard only hearsay so far and not much of that. Can you really do magic?\"
\"Nothing we do is supernatural but we do use some really advanced technology and science. We were given a big leg up by the Elders and teaching telepathically is a fair bit easier than verbally. There was a phrase on Earth when I was there \'any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic\' and its true. Of course it helps that we\'ve been altered to directly perceive the energies we work with. In fact after we learned that others thought it magic we started using the term ourselves. But if you hear me speak of spells and sorcery its just a science not yet known elsewhere. Want a demo?\"
She smiled and opened a door to a Salle D\'Armes, a place where you could spar with weapons or bare handed. And\'ril was there in workout clothes. \"Why don\'t you put on a spare gi and spar with And\'ril? You could show us some combat sorcery. Unless you think it too dangerous?\"
\"No, I will use just my battle aura that should keep me from harm while sparing him any harm that might be caused by an overly energetic combat spell.\" He concentrated and was surrounded by a golden glow. He put on the martial arts clothing she had pointed to, and approaching And\'ril bowed.
He caught the old Prime by surprise and won the first one. He lost the second and third though. Apparently even when twenty times his age a Supremis could still kick his ass in hand-to-hand. The third time he had even used illusions to hide but And\'ril was too canny a warrior and closed his eyes using other senses to track the now exhausted and heavily sweating agent.
Still Ann seemed impressed that he had even come through three sparring rounds with a Prime alive and with nothing broken. She showered with them and afterwards massaged both of them. He did get to show them some magic, he cast a healing spell and his bruises faded like… well, magic. Still he welcomed the opportunity to soak in her hot tub. As he lay there relaxing a fourth person walked up to the tub. He opened his eyes and saw a very pleasant sight. A blonde stood there at the edge of the marble rim looking at him. She was naked and looked 100% Velorian.
\"Is she one of your daughters, Ann? She looks completely Velorian,\" he asked quietly as she sat beside him with And\'ril on the other side.
\"No this is Nikki Kim\'Vallara. Her mother was a diplomat to Reigel 5. We persuaded her to come here rather than stay on Velor.\"
\"It was an easy decision. I like being empowered and all I had waiting for me there was a clerical job in an office building somewhere. Besides, Ben can be very persuasive.\" She smiled and slipped into the hot tub next to Jason. She held out her hand in the Terran gesture of friendship, \"Hi, call me Nikki. Did Ann tell you why she is happy to see you?\"
\"Hi, I\'m Jason. No, but I think I have an inkling.\"
\"He went three rounds with And\'ril and actually won one!\" Ann said smiling at him from the curve of And\'ril\'s arm.
\"Wow,\" Nikki said putting an arm around him and getting close. \"That\'s amazing! You must be really good at hand-to-hand.\"
\"Not really I just surprised him at first.\"
\"You surprised him? How?\"
He snuggled closer to her and said, \"I\'ll make you a deal, you tell me exactly what I\'m wanted for and I\'ll tell you how I surprised him.\"
She was more than willing to snuggle closer and stroke her hand across his body, which was fit and young seeming if not up Supremis standards. He suddenly recognized the honey and wildflower scent tickling his brain and used magic to keep from being overwhelmed by her pheromones. She noticed and smiled.
\"I met several Diaboli on Reigel, Jason, and my mom dated one for awhile -- well, he was part-Diaboli and he wasn\'t supposed to show it. I think I know how you surprised him but I\'m still impressed. Even more impressed that you can shake off my pheromones, mom\'s lover never could. Still why bother?\" She kissed him, \"If you can spar with a Prime and be this healthy afterwards a little loving from a B-class Vel like me won\'t harm you and I\'ve been getting lonely here.\"
\"I had my battle aura up then. It kept me from getting hurt but it takes concentration, without it I\'m a Frail.\"
\"That\'s why I wanted Nikki to try to enhance you first,\" Ann broke in. \"She\'s less dangerous than any of my daughters. I\'m sure you two can come up with some way to share sorn\'fuk. You\'d like to make love to her right? All you need to do is come up with a way to survive the enhancement process.\"
\"Yes, Jason, come up with a way.\" Nikki kissed him again, \"I can feel that you want me and I have needs that I\'d happily let you fill if you were enhanced. Ben is away with Myra alot and even when he is here his attention is divided.\"
Jason interrupted, \"Yes I want to but I hardly know you and you hardly know me.\"
\"Yes but Ann vouches for you and if you agreed then Klara and I wouldn\'t have to resort to each other so often. Its nice but I want a man I don\'t have to share quite so much and Paris would love to learn how to enhance her boys. She even offered to let me try if I were successful with you. So you see we all stand to gain.\" She kissed passionately, \"Can\'t you think of some way, anyway it can work?\"
\"Easy Nikki, we want him to be able to think,\" Ann advised. \"If you keep that up he\'ll stop thinking and hormones will do what pheromones can\'t. I don\'t want him coming up with some half-baked idea just to get into the pants you aren\'t wearing.\"
Nikki crawled off Jason\'s lap. \"Well it does look as if his brain is not what\'s getting all the blood at the moment.\" She flashed a smile. \"I can fix that, I mastered the art of underwater blowjobs while on Reigel 5.\" She then proved that statement and he floated away blissfully for awhile.
Afterwards she said, \"and you can have more when you\'ve proved yourself to us.\"
\"Proved myself huh? I figured that was coming. What do you need me to do and what happens if I refuse?\"
\"Well what you must do to prove yourself is go on patrol with Myra until she is satisfied you are genuine in your confession and change of heart.\" She held up a hand. \"I know from your story its not so much a change of heart as an opening of the eyes but lets just say we want to be sure you won\'t suddenly close them again. We want to take your measure and since Myra was such a good judge of character last time we picked her to judge you.\"
Ann smiled, \"I have faith in you Jason. I was watching closely when you told your story. I\'ve gotten good at reading people and I could see that you needed to tell somebody, that you had to unburden yourself and it didn\'t matter to whom. I trust that because I was there but the others cannot be expected to take only our word for it. They want to find out your character for themselves.
\"Well that and they want a chance at Ben. Myra had him to herself for a month while they were away and now there is even more competition for his limited time. My other daughters want a chance to reaquaint him with their charms and of course Nikki has been denied the pleasure of his loving for longer than any of them so I suspect that\'s why your test lasts a month. One week for each of them and none for Myra meanwhile.\"
A voice came from inside the house, \"What?! Is that really why you all arranged it like this? I can\'t believe you be so...so...petty!\" Out came a lovely young girl of about 17 with flashing blue eyes and really lovely hair. It was midnight black with a hint of deepest purple. He\'d read of the trait in the Academy but had never seen it before. It was beautiful.
She was wearing only an apron that said \"Kiss the Cook\". It hung from her neck and was tied around her waist. He was disappointed at her not being as naked as everyone else and then he firmly told myself she was wayyy too young for him. Down boy! He thought to himself fiercely as Nikki replied, \"Well we needed somebody to double check your mom and And\'ril and you are the only one who patrols on foot and Ben himself says you have the best rapport with Terrans.\"
\"You leave him out of this! If you all really thought mom was wrong Aayla and Klara would be here. They are Galen enough, especially Aayla, to keep him from using any powers on them but you came to give him a little preview and have some fun and then you stick him with me until you are done with Ben!\"
\"Now Myra you know I raised you not to be so insecure! Take Jason on patrol with you. I\'m sure he\'ll be a help and even enhanced he might not fly well so he may end up patrolling on foot too.\"
Jason could understand how she felt because Nikki was right, Myra was reacting like a Terran girl would and he couldn\'t stand by and not help so he piped up. \"I know I\'m still on probation but I think Myra has a point.\"
He waved, \"I\'m Jason by the way.\"
All three ladies turned to look at him and And\'ril grinned.
I think he noticed me noticing Myra, he thought. A very good thing he wasn\'t acting like a Terran dad. I\'d hate to have fight him again.
Ann tilted her head slightly as she looked his way. \"I thought you had it all worked out. I want your genes as well as your expertise. If Ben has kids by all of them the next generation is in the same boat as the first.\"
\"I figured that out but if he and I have sex with all of them how will we know his kids from mine? We don\'t want half siblings mating. I admit to having a fondness for brunettes -- especially if they can cook as well as Myra but if I prove out then logically I should not have kids with the same daughters as he does and from everything I\'ve heard you two are a pair. Or can you arrange to know whose kids are whose?\"
\"We can arrange our cycles somewhat.\" Nikki said.
\"Yes we are a pair. However we are not exclusive -- or at least he isn\'t. I haven\'t had much chance or desire to be non-exclusive,\" Myra said and smiled.
\"I\'m glad you like the food. I\'ve been practicing for Ben. I hope he\'ll like it as much as you do. Come by tomorrow morning and we\'ll talk further.\"
She looked at her mom and Nikki.
\"If I am going to spend a month evaluating him then I want veto power on any schedule involving me. I may want to stay a one woman man. Then again I may not too.\"
\"Of course dear,\" Ann answered. \"I\'d certainly never force you. I\'m just trying to do what\'s best for all of you in the long run.
Myra grinned, \"Thanks!\" She looked at me her eyes twinkling, \"Another lover of brunettes huh? Well just in case I don\'t want to be exclusive I\'d like to show you something.\"
\"What?\" I had a pretty good idea of what and was sternly reminding myself of much older I was.
She untied the back of her \"kiss the cook\" apron and whipped it off posing naked in the afternoon sun. I forgot how much older I was and my good intentions and became very erect under the bubbling water. She dropped the pose and grinned, \"I see you do like me after all.\" She leaned down and extended a hand. I shook it. \"Nice to meet you Jason.\" She kissed my cheek and stood back up.
\"Nice to meet you too Myra.\" He thought to himself, Yes, I could definitely get to like it here. Then she gathered up her apron and left saying she was going to clean the kitchen and go back to her place.
\"A fondness for brunettes? Watch what you say or I\'ll let her enhance you instead. Not many Terrans survive sex with a Prime you know.\"
\"I know. Not many Diaboli either. Shortly after the gene bomb we sent a diplomatic group to Aria. We had not known of the bomb or its effects. All the woman of the would-be embassy became Betan comfort women and the men went to various Primal women. Only one survived. He returned much vital intelligence.
\"Unforunatrly, after it sank in that his enhancement precluded normal relations with Terran women, he left the planet. He pulled strings and set out in a scout ship. Nobody knows where he went. I wasn\'t trying to be nasty with the brunette comment just honest. It\'s just a preference though and it looks like all the brunettes are taken so I\'ll probably be eating crow in a month and apologizing on my knees.\"
\"Well apologizing on your knees is very likely but all the brunettes are not taken as I\'m sure you\'ll find out in time.\" With that cryptic comment she flew off, leaving him in the hot tub with Ann and And\'ril.
Later that night Ann slipped still naked into his room as he read through a local history book. \"I already know you to be a good man Jason so I am here to honor you early.\"
\"What about And\'ril?\" He asked but the flood of pheromones she was releasing had taken him by surprise and he barely got the question out.
She laughed, \"He won\'t mind, he\'s Supremis by culture as well as birth like I am and there is no jealousy in either of us. He is taking care of Nikki\'s needs while I see to yours since you are both guests in our home and needy after the day\'s experiences.\"
She turned out the light and he put the book away as she slipped in to his bed in the dark. One night of Supremis sex and he was hooked for life. He loved the incredible feel of her skin. So soft but so firm underneath, like silk over steel but warm, living steel. He loved the taste of her on his tongue like honey and wildflowers. She gripped in a vise of velvet and he gave himself up totally to the experience.
Afterwards he says, \"You really are a goddess.\"
\"So I have been told.\" A warm kiss, \"And you are my chosen for the night.\" Then they ascended to the heavens again. He slept like a baby that night.