Page 54 of Indentured Companion
“Look, as soon as we have our payment from our employers, we’re going to give you ba-”
Before I know it, I’m crying and Vrajan has me in his arms.
“Don’t worry Valerie. We’ll find Cassie. We’ll get her back, and we’ll arrest everyone else involved.”
“Or you could give me a gun and I could shoot them?” I’m more upset that these fuckers have run off with my sister, than the fact they put me through 24 hours of hell. “You’re a super influential Councillor now, right? So you could have them arrested, have the cameras turned off, and I could shoot their balls off?” He chuckles and doesn’t acknowledge my request.
“Wewillfind your sister. Right now, I need you to rest. Very soon I expect we will be contacted to give our statements as to what happened, and then we can truly start the search. For Cassie, and the ones who took from me.” I hate the fact that there is nothing I can do right now. I’m also exhausted, physically and emotionally. It doesn’t take much prompting from Vrajan to get me to snuggle up in bed with him. He holds me close as I work out the rest of my frustration and worry in the form of sniffles, before finally drifting off to sleep.
Chapter 39
The leather throne
Vrajan.
Two months later.
I sit upon the comfortable reddish brown leather ‘throne’ Valerie helped me to select for the Korvian Embassy, reading over the next council meeting itinerary. I look around absently and smile at my surroundings. Oh how far we’ve come.
The walls of the Korvian Embassy are dark green, reflecting my station as the Dynast, and it has a familiar honeycomb impression on the metallic walls. It would be more like home if the walls were made of Lopetaenite and cast shimmering light across the floor. Instead, the walls are metal and the floor is red carpet, and soft underfoot.
Empty offices lining the walls in cubicles. One day I will fill them with my own staff. At the moment, my team work remotely from Hive vessels outside Theskian space, but that will soon change. I have negotiated the fair trade agreement, and very soon more of my people will have interviews with the Indentured Servitude Services vetting department, to seek out their own feeding companions. A big win for my people. Synth-Red is becoming less efficient at meeting our dietary needs. It’s still repulsive to ingest, and our population is closer than ever to becoming unstable. We need feeding companions for nutrition, but we also need them for reproduction. Of course, only after the feeding companion completes their indentured contract, and both are bonded.
Here, one day, I will conduct meetings and recieve my kin for support, disputes, and legal action of all kinds. I hope to have the ISC have their clients meet the Korvis in question here, in a warm and friendly environment.
I got to work as the Councillor right away after my appointment, and my recovery from mild starvation, to ensure my manifesto was heard and actioned by the council. Of course, they approved the addition of a Korvian Embassy, like all the others, which had its own corridor leading to the central chamber. It took a month to get the plans drawn up, approved, and the building work completed. It has taken me a second month to get Korvis candidates approved for transport. My team, of course, are at the top of the list. They have worked hard to work remotely, but they will be far more effective here in the flesh. I was able to justify their need to be here, as my team, so even Getrata couldn’t object. I’m expecting them within the next fortnight. It warms me with pride and joy to know my kin will join me here. The first of many. We need the Theskians to see us, and our feeding companions, as a normal way of life in the empire. Only then can we can we see if Theskians would be willing to relocate to Hive vessels, or even our home world. One step at a time, of course.
“No, that’s not acceptable.” I look up from the itinerary with a smile behind my green veil. Valerie, a lovely vision, paces and sternly tells off a human she’s talking to on a handheld communicator. She holds it in her right hand, gestures with her left, and takes no prisoners. My Queen is magnificent that way. She barks with confidence, and is a vision of loveliness as well. She wears a red shoulderless long sleeved top; a tease as she knows red is my favourite colour. Her trousers are shimmering black, which she affectionately calls ‘space pants’, and they billow around her lovely legs. Her long brown hair is silky from her side parting, and swishes delightfully as she paces in front of me. “I’m telling you Andrews, if you want to buy in to this venture, you’re going to have to knock at least two zeroes off that fee.” I sit back and watch her work. Valerie is CEO of the newly licenced TK Stone Inc. A precious metal and gemstone mining operation. Some of her old contacts have happily flocked to her when she got her company licence, with the financial backing of the Hive. The High Queen and the Hive collective are keen to get a Theskian company working on our home world. Money speaks, and it is a universal language. I believe my Mother also wishes to endear herself to my beloved, and she is eager to return that gesture in kind. My mother has never had a daughter, only sons, and Valerie keeps saying something about making a good first impression. I have told hermanytimes that she did that, when she accepted my Bonding Succour. She did so tenfold, when she stood by my side and supported me as my partner in giving our people a real chance at a brighter future. “No, noyoulisten. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to be part of an operation to break new ground. No one hasevermined Lopetaenite, apart from the Korvis. TK Stone Inc hasexclusiveaccess rights to mine a crystal the Theskian Empire has never heard the likes of before. You received the mass spec break down and mineral density report, right?” She pauses, listening to his reply.
Valerie is putting the many years of experience as the future heiress to her father’s company to good use. Something I know she is far more pleased about than she is letting on. “Yes, I know I’m not the one with the ships and tech needed to carry out the operation, butI’mthe one with the exclusive mining rights and access. No one else has it. Look, stop busting my balls here and come out with it? Do we have a deal? Or do I need to hang up and call Bvork?” Her eyes catch mine right when she starts to smirk with victory in her brown eyes. “Yes, and heisa greedy son of a bitch. He doesn’t pay his workers as well as you do. Come on Andrews? Don’t make me fill Bvork’s slippery ass pockets. I’m going to hang up in three…two…?” She punches the air with a hop in her step as she comes towards me. Her delight is clear, and I delight in her joy. “That Andrews, is the best decision you have ever made.” I open my arms so she can jump up to sit on my lap with a grin. “I’ll send you the coordinates and when the Councillor and I can meet your fleet to begin the op. Later Andrews.” She hangs up and I stroke my gloved fingers across her jaw.
“Success, my love?”
“Chalk up another win for TK Stone Inc.” I purr and turn her chin close to me so I can kiss her cheek through my veil. I adore that she has named her mining company TK Stone Inc. Team Korvis Stone. It feels like she is saying I love you every time she says it. In her own way, she is.
“I am pleased you were able to conclude a deal with Andrews to make use of his ships.”
“That was the last hurdle.” She shrugs. “Once I got the word out, I managed to get plenty of people to work for me through my old connections. Not as many as I had hoped once I saidwherewe would be mining, but I have enough.”
“And of course, you can hire Korvian workers as well.” I reassure her, and she smiles brightly. I am so pleased that she has found satisfaction with her old passion and craft returned to her.
If anything, it has helped to keep her mind off her missing sister. Two months have passed, and there is no sign of Cassie Stone. The Indentured Services Centre are protecting her status, but she has been declared a missing person. Her master has been black listed across the empire from taking on any more indentured servants, but that offers little comfort to my Valerie. She has a case number and an detective in the peacekeeper investigations unit she calls daily for an update. I hold her hand through every call, and hold her every time she is told ‘no new information at this time.’ Captain Unthulo and his crew are wanted for kidnapping, assault, and attempted murder, since Valerie and I could have died from the sudden separation. “Mother wishes to know if when we rendezvous with Andrews, if we might have time to visitheras well?”
“Oh. Yeah. Your Mum still wants to meet me.” Valerie chuckles nervously. They have talked via vid call, but both seem anxious to impress the other, so it was rather strained. I am sure once they meet face to face, they will both stop worrying about the impression of the other. “In person huh? So, is she like, tall like you?” She picks at her sleeves and her grin is awkward. “You will stop me from cursing in front of her, right? Because I really don’t want to drop the f bomb in front of your Mother…the High Queen…yikes.”
“She already adores you, and will only think more highly of you once you relax.” I tease her and she shrugs at me. She’s still tense, and get quite a fun idea. “Youarerather tense.” I purr, blushing coyly, and slowly turn her chin away from me to gaze at her lovely neck. “I could…help with that.” I whisper, and right away, I know this was the right move.
“Here?” Valerie gasps with mock outrage and brings a hand up to hold my wrist. Not to pull me away, but to keep me close. “Why Councillor? Do you want to getnasty,right here on your badass throne?”
“It’s a chair, you minx. And for the record, mating and making love to you isnevernasty” She wiggles her eyebrows at me. “So why not?” I retrieve my discarded tablet, and change the itinerary list to the Embassy security controls. “Doors locked.” The heavy sound of metal bolts locking into place sent a thrill through us both. “Cameras off.” The lights over the domed cameras in each corner flickers off. “And we are secure. Locked in and alone together.” Valerie chews her bottom lip and dares me with her lustful eyes. “I can help you relax, my beloved. ‘Right here on my throne.’” I tease her with a chuckle. “What do you say tothat?” Her grin is salacious as she peers up at me, her neck poised ready for a feed.
“I say,bite me.”
Chapter 40
Epilogue
Vrajan.
