13 Rowkin

Kikila comes out of her room back at the complex, dressed in a tight black dress that hugs her curves like I desperately want to. It's difficult to walk beside her toward the dining hall and not let my Rev monster out to play. I had a taste, but it wasn't enough. The Abr committee warned me to behave or risk being kicked out.

I have to behave so I can stay at her side, so she can have time to return her claim, if she chooses.

Kikila stays close as we weave between the tables around the tank filled with floating phoruspods from a solar system close to mine. "The spacelife in that region is something you have to see in person to truly believe it's real."

Kikila admired the glowing creatures as they slowly drift by. "So colorful. Sort of look like jellyfish but bigger and more feathery."

"And electric," I warn. "They'll knock out an engine if you suck one through an intake. It's like a bomb and an EMP all at once."

"Have some experience?" she asks as we find a table, and I pull out her chair for her.

She blushes and sits. I love the way her skin flushes and reddens at my advances like it's trying to become more like mine. She's still red from the quills I scraped from her skin.

I enjoy her skin either way, but there's something extra glorious about the way it changes, like it wants to be akin to mine, just for a little bit.

It's nice to feel wanted, to feel like someone likes me enough to want to be a part of my life.

Her necklace catches my eye. "Haprixom stone, from the black crystal ring around Klaphos' sixth planet from their sun."

She beams at me as she touches it. "It was my mother's."

The first course is set between us.

"Ever had parmesan crusted salmon?" she asks.

We share a bite from the same large plate.

"No human food except occasional ration packets on missions," I admit. But the buttery, crunchy, meaty taste that melts over my tongue is wonderful. "I like it."

"So tell me about home." She moves on without lingering on the past. For that, I'm grateful. I still can't quite get over my initial failure to protect her.

I tell her about Lanika, our little homita, and how I'm always gone on missions. "She told me she's lonely and wishes she had a sister. But she's not a weakling. She's a fighter. We were bred to be tough, taught to endure no matter what." I savor another bite and motion to her. "What about you? Any siblings?"

She shakes her head. "Just me. I grew up training with my father, learning security systems, how to patrol and eventually became an engineer, working on advancing our shield systems to combat Nebulous Empire weapons. We've made a lot of advancements."

"So I noticed." I tell her about the weapons we just received and the word that the federation would be bringing us shields and more supplies soon.

This makes her smile. "I don't have much experience beyond our solar system, but I am glad to see our tech is helping others."

The second meal is Kashanali. Kikila grimaces. "It's like octopus or clam, too squeaky for my taste."

"I don't know what those are," I admit, but I have to agree about the texture.

Seven different plates of food are set down over the course of the night with samples of food from many places, nothing much from my home except a small set of fried fruits. Kikila enjoys them and laughs more as the evening passes, but part of me worries that she might be scarred for life.

After the dessert platter has been picked through, she takes my hand and leads me to the dance floor where other couples sway and bounce to the rapid beats. Every night here seems like a party. And while we missed the mingle celebration, the ropes course, knowledge game, and the maze competition, I still feel like it's been worth it.

Kikila turns around and grinds her ass gently against my crotch. She wears a dark look in her eye that makes me want to take her back to my room. My hearts like the attention, and my cock stiffens from the pressure of her plump backside until all I can think about is burying myself in her warmth and hiding from the universe just for a little while.

Her bare shoulders summon me closer. It's not easy to hold back. I just want to be sure she's not interested because of some heat-of-the moment kind of thing. I want to be certain she wants me and no one else.

I snake my arms around her waist and over her belly, hoping to satisfy some of the urges I feel inside. But they only make them stronger as our bodies rock together to the music.

Kikila reaches behind her and grabs me by the hips, drawing me firmer against her.

"You keep that up and I might lose it right here," I rasp in her ear.

She bites a plump pink lip, and I can't take it. I collect her, sweep her off of the floor into a darkened corner, and press her against the wall.

Her hot breath mixes with mine as we lock lips. My urges consume me until my Rev takes over and makes me grind my hips against hers. When she gasps ever so softly, I realize what I'm doing, that I'm out of control.

I pull back just enough to catch my breath.

My wristband vibrates with a call. I let it go to messages. But the call comes through again.

"Maybe you should take that," she whispers.

She's probably right. "I'm sorry. One second."

I answer. "What?"

"TL, we just lost another five crews outside Klaphos orbit." It's Scrapper. He's stressed. I can hear it in the tightness of his voice.

"Five?"

Kikila doesn't need to hear this, so I excuse myself and turn away. "What happened?"

"Shadow cloaks. Can't really say beyond that. You know. We just don't have the power. Shields are starting to go up around the cities, and that's helped. But Alustri has almost no crops left for this year. Command asked me to return, obviously that means Zoshun, too.

"But we need more fighters. I'll be back to pick you up. But it would be good to let your gal know what's going on back home."

"I should go with you," I say, already thinking of where my regular uniform is and what weapons I should pick up when we're back on Alustri.

"No. You stay. Command especially wants us RRs to reproduce. We need fighters, not politicos and princes. But they also said if you get any word on solar systems with extra warriors that we could use a temporary crew or a hundred."

"No doubt they'll send us as support to assist with their wars on their home fronts," Zoshun adds. Just consider it."

I sigh and wish I could return. But there aren't a lot of us left. So many have died already that our population is about a third of what it was two years ago."

"Keep me posted, yeah? I'll talk to others here," I say.

After I end the call, I turn around and find Kikila is missing. My hearts sink into an irregular rhythm.

"Kiki?"

She's talking with a group of other males just beside the floor, and it eats at my pride.

A horrid sense of rejection consumes me.

I slink away from the crowd and sulk the rest of the way back to my room.

I sit on my bed for an hour, alone and in the quiet space with just the hint of music still filtering through my door. The view of Earth below is inspiring. It is such a beautiful mix of blues and greens that I cannot imagine anyone wanting to move to my rocky homeworld.

I get a message.

Kikila: got your number from your Abr profile. Gregarions might be asses, but they can spare some warriors.

I reply. How did you know?

Kikila: I'm in security. I pay attention to everything. Can't help overhearing things. It can be the difference between life and death in tough situations. Anyway, I'll send you their info. Night, Rowkin. See you for the tour tomorrow?

She doesn't hate me? She didn't get bored? She was trying to help!

Nevertheless, as I look out at her planet, I wonder how mine can compare. My Rev growls in protest. The monster within me wants only her. I have no interest in any other female and never will again. I am desperate to cling to the high she gives me, the one that soothes the fever inside.

Definitely.