Terran Temptation

By Echo Ishii

Dr. Annalisha Montague has earned a glowing reputation as a Terran scientist. She has also attracted the attention of two men, a senator who wants her for her bloodline and a Terran commander who wants her heart and soul. Will she choose to honor her bloodline or her heart?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Changeling Press
• Release date: Jul 26, 2019

Book preview

heart?

Chapter 1

Annalisha gripped the arms of her chair, her heart beating fast. All around her display screens showed tiny dots of approaching ships coming directly toward Terran Republic Command. Call up the rapid response system, she ordered.

The room shook just enough to give Annalisha a jolt. The power grid was being strained to the limit, the generators pumping through solaria energy particles as fast as possible. Sirens began to blare around her. There was a worrying creak from one of the walls.

Invading Raptors approaching, Annalisha yelled above the din.

Across from her, three Benuxians -- tall, slender aliens with feathers surrounding long oval faces -- shrieked rapidly as they worked the rapid response monitors. The base was built on the side of a rock face that looked out into the expanse of this distant moon of Itzil.

Itzil -- blue seas and green fields and colorful flora. Itzil was a Terran Republic territory now -- under Terran Republic protection and jurisdiction -- that could be wiped out in hours.

Annalisha jumped out of her chair and strode across the white tile floor to one of the younger alien trainees, leaned toward the computer screen and demonstrated the proper missile sequence.

Once again, she thought with a sigh. Thank the stars this is only a training simulation.

I can’t, I can’t, shrieked the panicked trainee, mixing words with the high-pitched keening alien language that Annalisha didn’t understand.

Annalisha knew she had to keep calm. Benuxians were highly sensitive to panic and this group was more panic-prone than most. They were all fairly young women and men from this largely peaceful world that hadn’t had any form of technology above steamships until two years ago. They’re trying their best, Annalisha reminded herself.

Just follow the directions I gave you, Annalisha instructed. The first volley of lasers will launch.

The alien officer’s fingers shook as she keyed in the sequence. Annalisha noticed the layers of feathers atop the young woman’s head flutter.

I’ve got it! The young woman shrieked so loudly the sound bounced off the walls. The remaining Benuxians joined in with a cacophony of clicking noises.

Keep it up. Annalisha turned to the other three trainees. They were at their stations working as rapidly as the woman next to her. Had this been a real invasion, the Raptors would have attacked and eaten them all in the amount of time it was taking to key in their sequences. Practice. Practice.

Two, Three, Four, coordinate. Annalisha tapped her foot on the floor. A nervous habit. They had to get this.

They were getting better. Bursts of light streamed across the room, and the boom of heavy explosives shook the ship. The aliens shrieked loudly, but at least this time, stayed at their stations.

The booms and light bursts were not a real part of the rapid response system. The Terran Republic officials had added the graphics for effect. Annalisha felt it undermined the true science, but that was the price one paid for public relations.

I’ve got them, yelled the Benuxian woman again. The displays screens showed a volley of simulated lasers hitting the simulated invading Raptors, one by one. There were excited Benuxian whispers all around.

Annalisha indulged in a smile. They might not be the quickest security officers but they were very open and friendly. She’d gotten used to the warm, feathery hugs.

There was a sudden banging from the far corner of the room. Each thud became louder and more insistent as if pounded by a hammer. Annalisha sighed. She had a good idea of who it was. Annalisha went over to the security monitor anyway. It was procedure.

A male face stared directly up into the camera as if he were aware that she was watching -- a genetically altered male face with two long twisted horns on each side of his head, peeping out through short cut dark brown hair. He had on a gray mesh short-sleeved shirt fit tight across a broad chest. He had gray short pants fit tight across massive thighs. Everything about him said soldier. Elite soldier. The Seventh Legion. His eyes were black with flecks of gray.

And he looked angry.

Commander Vercingenorix Rydon. The man was a gorgeous package covering nothing but one big mass of difficult and demanding. It was difficult and demanding under a handsome, muscular frame but that didn’t make working with him any easier. Annalisha set the doors to open and looked up as Rydon stomped inside.

He was a large man, six and half feet tall and broad-shouldered. Annalisha was amazed he could make it through the doorway.

The Benuxians all stared at him, feathers shuffling and small whispered birdlike peeps echoing off the walls of the command center.

Your science experiments are siphoning from a strained energy grid, the commander said.

Annalisha bumped against him on her way back to her chair. Good gods, he was solid muscle.

We need the energy grid back online at once, Commander Rydon continued in the same impatient tones.

We had an agreement. I was to run my experiment between 14:00 to 16:00 hours, Annalisha said.

It’s 16:30, Rydon pointed out.

We went overtime. Annalisha had no intention of apologizing. Rydon was not going to intimidate her. She didn’t care if he was commander of a Terran Legion. She wasn’t under his control.

We need to discuss this again, I see, Rydon said stretching out each word carefully in a booming voice. The aliens took the cue and scattered, racing through the door in single file like ducklings behind their mother.

Commander Rydon came closer to her, standing by the edge of her chair. Annalisha felt the heat coming off of his body. A shiver ran up her spine. She didn’t know all the genetics behind breeding these soldiers, but, wow, it was a nice job.

I request that you pause your experiments until we can replace the power grid, Rydon said with more than a hint of impatience. They had this power grid spat daily.

And as I said, you will have to file your grievance with proper Terran Republic officials, Annalisha countered with all the dignity and authority she could muster.

I did. They have yet to reply.

Well, I’m sure they will in due course. Annalisha tried not to look at him, but it was impossible. He had one beefy hand on the edge of her chair. She’d never seen hands that huge. That strong. She wondered what they were capable of. She wondered that quite often.

We have work to do, Commander Rydon said. The Seventh Legion needs to protect this world. Our soldiers need to be ready to defend it at all times.

I have work, too. This rapid response system is just as important in protecting the Benuxians.

Rydon’s eyes flashed and his nostrils flared.

Don’t you have somewhere else to be? Annalisha said through gritted teeth. Perhaps some R & R for your overworked soldiers?

That’s none of your concern.

I can only imagine what goes on, Annalisha said