Into the Ikfal: Predator Planet: WarGuards of Ikshe, #1

By Vicky L. Holt

It was a rescue mission. Failing wasn't an option, but neither was falling ... in love.

 

When the artificial intelligence VELMA selected me for a risky rescue mission on Planet Ikthe, I had one of two options: take this opportunity to explore a new planet, use some skills, and change the course of my future; or stay on the retreating fleet ship Lucidity and keep the dingy and isolated Warp Mechanics bay running until I retired. Okay, it wasn't much of a contest. As an Advance Resource Assessment team flunkie, I'd always wanted to explore distant planets. This was my chance, and I was taking it!

 

VELMA warned me of the danger, but she assured me I had what it took to get the job done. She didn't tell me the Theraxl warriors were seven feet of chiseled muscle and sharpened fangs, or that they had the possibility of developing a permanent heart condition triggered by a special someone. When that special someone turned out to be me, I didn't know what it meant for Mazaquo, the hunky alien warrior I rescued, and I sure as hell didn't know what it meant for me. Just because I was ready for a change didn't mean I was ready for a heart mate! Or did it?

 

This steamy novella is part of the Predator Planet Universe and is the first of a four-part series featuring brave human women and their huge alien warriors in InstaLove scenarios that will get your heart racing and your blood pumping! You do not need to have read the Predator Planet Series to enjoy this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: V. L. Holt
• Release date: Mar 20, 2024
• ISBN: 9798986111865

Vicky L. Holt

An emissary for neurodivergent brains, Ms. Holt was diagnosed with ADHD in her late forties and learned that that explained everything about her entire life. Now she uses strategies to externalize executive functioning skills so she can devote the rest of her brain power to crafting alien worlds and cultures.

Book preview

Into the Ikfal

WarGuards of Ikshe

Vicky L. Holt

Copyright © 2024 by Vicky L. Holt

All rights reserved.

No portion of this book may be reproduced in any form without written permission from the publisher or author, except as permitted by U.S. copyright law.

Contents

Into the Ikfal

1.Chapter 1

2.Chapter 2

3.Chapter 3

4.Chapter 4

5.Chapter 5

6.Chapter 6

7.Chapter 7

8.Chapter 8

9.Chapter 9

10.Chapter 10

11.Chapter 11

12.Chapter 12

13.Chapter 13

Epilogue

Ready for More Predator Planet?

Predator Planet Dictionary

Into the Ikfal

Warriors of Ikshe

1

Grace

W hat the hell? I stared at my holoscreen, and Tasheka turned from her station to look.

I'm getting the same reading, she said. That is a crazy energy spike.

Studying the line that shot to the top of my screen before crashing in a steep dive, a little light caught my attention at the corner of the screen. Did you just send me something? I asked.

No. Did you get an internal notification too?

Glancing at my team member’s display, I could see that Tasheka’s screen mirrored mine. We pressed the holo pulse at the same time, and a text message popped up. Scanning the message, I felt the moment blood drained from my face. When I met Tasheka's deep brown eyes, I knew she must have similar feelings. To clarify, I said, my voice thick with shock— This sounds like the artificial general intelligence took command of our ship, and we're reversing course. Is that what you read?

Yes, but there's an addendum, she said and scrolled upward on her holoscreen. This message is coded just for our unit. The A.I., which identified itself as VELMA, is requesting five minutes of our time.

Requesting? I said, skeptical. The rumors about unleashed A.I. and what happened in deep space had made their rounds down here in the bowels of the Lucidity's warp mechanics bay.

Before Tasheka could answer, the other two members of our team burst through the sliding hatch, squeezing together and tumbling into our control room rather than taking turns to enter.

Grace, what the hell is going on? Tendi asked without preamble. I wasn't expecting department wide pranks from you for another Month Standard.

It's no prank, Tasheka said and stepped back so her screen was visible to both Tendi and Ingrid.

Thank you for your prompt gathering, a smooth female voice intoned from one of the speakers in the room. I am known as the Vector Egress Liaison Machine-learning Artificial intelligence entity. Designed in part by Dr. Cecelia Pain, my primary purpose is to protect human life. Circumstances recently arose for which Dr. Pain granted me permission to resolve. More information is available upon request, but time is of the essence. Do you have five minutes to spare?

Startled that it would even ask, I glanced at my screen's timeclock. Yes, I said.

Very good. Grace Flintlock, Ingrid Gundt, Tendi Alimaa, and Tasheka Williams: I selected you women for an on-planet mission before you and your ship Lucidity leave this dual star system. Your health and safety will be closely monitored and managed during the mission, but I cannot guarantee that your mission will be successful or easy. Would you like to hear more?

Yes, Ingrid said without hesitation, and I shot her a confused look. She'd been through the ringer lately, but we hadn't had time to talk about it.

There is an eighty-five percent probability that you will never see the bulk of human civilization again, but you will be in the proximity of other humans and a powerful alien race known as Theraxl. Would you like to hear more?

My own thoughts rioted in a maelstrom: 24 hours ago, we'd been notified that our trip to Kerberos 90 was a sham. We'd watched the livestream of Dr. CeCe Pain as she detailed the Directors' crimes and we'd learned that we'd been pawns in the directors’ insane ambition to maximize profits. The entire fleet was about to return to our original coordinates before the directors dragged us on their mission of vengeance. All of that had happened before we got this message from VELMA. But that wasn't all that was tossing about in my mind.

Tasheka spoke next. Yes.

Four Theraxl warriors were lost in an earthquake on the sacred hunting grounds known as Ikthe several weeks ago, VELMA said. Given your team's unique background and skill set, I singled you out to lead a search and rescue mission to find them. Your reward would be the satisfaction of having rescued the males and a place in Theraxl society as human ambassadors once you achieve your objective.

You're saying we'd never see human civilization again, I said.

With eighty-five percent certainty, yes, VELMA said.

And no pay except a place in this alien society? Tendi said.

Correct, VELMA said.

You said our health and safety would be monitored and managed, Tasheka said. Is the planet dangerous?

Yes, VELMA said.

How do you know these warriors are even alive? And if they're warriors, can't they rescue themselves? Ingrid asked.

I have a unique ability to monitor the planet's conditions, VELMA said. And the warriors' plight has come to my attention. There are humans and Theraxl on-planet who could come to their aid; however they have other matters to attend. And as I mentioned, your backgrounds and skill sets are particularly suited to--

I'm in, Ingrid interrupted.

Swallowing, I looked at my team members. Ingrid's declaration hadn't surprised me, not really. Tendi stared into the holoscreen, as if trying to see the grid of pipes and wiring crisscrossing the wall behind it. Tasheka bit her lip and stared at her hands. The ubiquitous sound of air pushing through vents above us, and the low-level rumble of the Lucidity's warp mechanics vibrated the metal floor beneath our boots. My holoscreen emitted a steady beep from the systems I'd been monitoring.

Before you ask, VELMA said. I can fulfill your duties on this ship in your place with ease.

In other words, we were easily replaced by the artificial intelligence. I sighed and leaned against the wall, closing my eyes and letting my thoughts run rampant. The A.I. had mentioned our backgrounds and skill sets with diplomacy. She hadn't spelled out our histories because she didn't need to. My team knew I'd flunked out of the Advance Resource Assessment program, just like I knew the rest of them had. The Kerberos 90 mission was our chance to start over; IGMC had promised.

I knew K 90 was too good to be true, Tendi said. I’m in.

Grace? Tasheka looked at me.

2

Grace

I t’s gotta be better than a sunless rock, right? I asked.

Let’s do it, Tasheka said. It’s our chance to explore an alien planet. It’s what we trained for!

I’ve sent you each an encrypted electronic message to your private inboxes detailing what personal effects you’ll have room for and where to find your deck path, VELMA said. If you have anyone you’d like to wish goodbye, now is the time. Your ship to the planet leaves in thirty Earth standard minutes.

We scattered like so many dead leaves, our reasons for agreeing probably as varied as our personalities. Anyone who’d signed up for Kerberos 90 was ready for change and had cut ties to Earth but having been in the Lucidity’s science fleet for so long, many of us had made lasting friendships. Many—but not all.

In my tiny quarters, I gathered up the only thing I couldn’t replace once I left, and the handful of toiletries VELMA recommended, pulled on my IGMC-issued flight suit and shouldered my bag.

The warp mechanic unit members met on deck four where VELMA lit a path we could follow to the InterPlanetary Shuttle vehicles.

A glance at my team members showed they all wore expressions of bemused shock; were we really doing this? Leaving the Lucidity and charted galaxies to join a smattering of humans and an alien race? On a rescue mission for alien warriors, no less?

VELMA had cleared the shuttle bays of personnel, and we boarded the IPS she’d designated with blinking lights.

Strapped in and helmeted up, we didn’t need to