Twisted Desires

By Kixi Rajki

Two cross-dimensional traversers, Kixi and Paige are tasked with a critical mission of extraction from a parallel world. But upon their arrival they are quickly confronted with Kixi’s wife’s counterpart from that world— a strange and twisted bitter woman who holds a dark horrible secret— the duo are soon faced with the cruel realisation of the fates of their own deceased doppelgängers.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kixi Rajki
• Release date: May 12, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224634354

Kixi Rajki

Kixi Rajki, birth name Kristijana Rajki is a bilingual interpreter as well as translator, an Information Technology guru (She’s a former I.T. Specialist) who lives in Melbourne with her spouse Mako Jhasmin Ikeda. She is the creator of the KnM Blade universe, and the author of all material and works in the ever growing and expanding series. To view more information beyond the completed titles of her KnM Blade universe featured here at Smashwords.com, please click on her website link featured on this page to access any details for titles currently in progress; current timelines and proposed timelines of the KnM Blade universe; and other things about her and her works.For as long as she can remember, she's been mesmerised by the extraordinary world of sci-fi– most notably Star Wars and Star Trek. She loves reading and writing, as well as finding new ways to drive readers crazy with twisting plots that will leave them sitting on the edge of their seats. She also has a deep love for video gaming, fantasy, football (soccer), formula 1, cars, science, languages and Japanese martial arts, notably Aikido, Kendo and Kenjutsu; she is fluent in English, Italian, Spanish and Croatian, and speaks basic German, Sicilian, Greek and Japanese. She has also created her own fictional language of Züncålidiom which is a feature of her KnM Blade Universe.She enjoys being around her cats– she most definitely is a cat lover, relishes in the company of her family, friends, and, is especially crazy about her wife Jhasmin, the love of her life.Her favourite quote: It doesn't matter what someone tells you, but who tells you.

Book preview

Twisted Desires

Kixi Rajki

Copyright © 2024 Kixi Rajki

All rights reserved.

Distributed by Smashwords

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Table of Contents

Prologue

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

About the Author

Prologue

The woman on the floor was lifeless. Her auburn hair was scattered in multiple places, stained with dried blood; crimson. Her emerald green eyes were wide open, but her jade irises held a sudden sadness. Her clothes, a lime green tunic and some black capris, were bloody. Her body was slumped over, half-sitting, half-laying on the cold linoleum floor of the abandoned building.

Two metres beyond the radius of the door, in a pool of blood that was almost dried and gave the room a sickly sweet butcher shop odour, one of her bodyguards lay on her back, dead. Next to her, the other bodyguard shared a fate no different than that of her partner. She too, looked lifeless and cold against the grey concrete which surrounded the outside of the building. Blood flowed thick and sluggish from a slash across her gut, her once rosy cheeks were now pallid and sunken in a mask of death.

Chapter 1

In another universe, sometime in the month of April in the year CE 3028.

Cerberus walked the decks of the Sagittarius hunched over and pulled in on herself. The captured Crystal Vipers Syndicate vessel was spartan in its amenities, its passageways were narrow and its overheads low, making navigating the interior of the ship a slow and awkward process.

General John Dekker was in command of the boarding party, which had boarded the disabled Syndicate ship more than an hour ago and made quick work of subduing its crew. Only a few rebels from the Syndicate had tried to put up a fight. Most had abided by their commander’s declaration of surrender. Now the prisoners were segregated in two holding areas; senior personnel— the Syndicate did not have officers, as such, were being held on the bridge, and rank and file personnel had been rounded up in main engineering.

Following in single file behind Cerberus was a retinue that included, in order, First Prime Mako Zaneca, tactical officer Miyuki Kazama, and a trio of armed troopers. Ahead of Cerberus, the portal to the Sagittarius’ bridge was open. She stepped inside.

At the front of the compartment were the Syndicate ship’s commanders and bridge crew. Their hands were bound behind them, and all were seated with their faces to the wall and their tied wrists visible to their two armed guards. General Dekker who was also first officer aboard Cerberus’ ship the Morpheus, and her second officer Raven Silverlight, bowed their heads slightly to Cerberus as she entered and took stock of the situation. Report, Cerberus said.

The ship is secure, Captain, Dekker said. All enemy personnel accounted for and disarmed. Chief engineer Bandick has command of the enlisted crew in main engineering.

Mako slipped past Cerberus and strolled slowly behind the prisoners. Cerberus looked around at the charred communication panels. Smoke lingered along the ceiling, and a fine crystalline dust sparkled on the carpeted deck. Curious to know the value of this prize she was bringing home to the Skycom Corporation, Cerberus asked, How much of the ship is intact?

Severe damage to propulsion and tactical systems, Raven replied. Bandick says most of it’s been slagged.

Dekker added, And the Syndicate rebels managed to wipe their computer core before we could access it.

Cerberus wondered sometimes if the men and women under her command deliberately omitted the most important information she required as a subtle means of testing her patience. What about the hyperdrive?

Raven and Dekker traded conspiratorial smirks. Intact, Raven said. Damaged, but Bandick says he has enough to reverse engineer it within a few months.

Unable to suppress a broad grin, Cerberus chortled. Hyperdrives are far superior to warp drives so good work, she said. Very good work. She turned back toward the forward end of the compartment, where Mako stood scraping her fingernails slowly on the backs of two prisoners’ necks. Cerberus called out to her, Found a new plaything already, First Prime?

Better, she replied, with a sadistic glee that Cerberus had not seen before. Heroes of the Crystal Vipers Syndicate’s rebellion. She tossed an invitational look over her shoulder. Perhaps I could introduce you to them? She looked to the two armed soldiers and pointed at the prisoners in front of her. The guards looked to Cerberus for their orders. She nodded her assent. They stepped forward and yanked the two hapless Syndicate rebels to their feet: a scruffy, spindly, dark-haired man and a young, trembling blonde woman.

It seemed like a joke. These are the heroes of the Crystal Vipers Syndicate? Cerberus asked derisively, as she stepped closer.

Cerberus, Mako said, allow me to present Lars Tremonte, and Leah Harris. After you had me execute both Kixi Rajki and Paige Langley, these two became two of the leading figureheads of the Crystal Vipers Syndicate. She pinched Lars’ chin between her thumb and forefinger and glared into his eyes. General Tremonte is also one of the Crystal Vipers Syndicate’s premier inflictors of pain and suffering. Then she looked at Leah. And you… I’ve been waiting a long time to meet you.

The feeling’s not mutual, Leah said. The nasal quality of her voice annoyed Cerberus greatly.

Do you even know who your counterpart is in the other universe? she asked Leah. Would you like to know?

Not really.

She used to be the Secretary to the President of the United Systems of Sol, she proclaimed, as if that was supposed to mean something. When my own counterpart in the other universe used to be chief of state, she served under her acting as a buffer between her and the public, keeping her schedules and appointments, managing her correspondence, managing the staff, communicating to the press as well as being a close aide and advisor to her. Changing her evil gleam to a sinister sneer, she continued, And what are you in charge of? A band of criminals. Pathetic. She gestured at the smoky rubble of the bridge. We’ve decoded the message you received from your flagship. We know that Kes En’jusek, your leader, warned you to retreat. You should have listened to her. Instead, you walked right into a trap, one that you’d already seen with your own eyes! What were you thinking? She shouted with mock outrage to the rest of the room, This is the greatest tactical thinker of the Crystal Vipers Syndicate? This is the vaunted Leah Harris, the strategic genius of—

Oh, shut up already! Leah bleated over Mako’s tirade. We both know how this’ll end. Whoever your counterpart is in that so called other universe which I know nothing about, you’re nothing like her, so just get it over with, you whore!

Mako spun and struck with the speed and grace of a serpent— a flick of her wrist produced a blade from her wrist guard. She plunged it into Leah’s throat, mauling her carotid artery and trachea. Gouts of blood surged over the ragged gash in her flesh as she pitched forward and fell dead at Mako’s feet. By then, one of the guards had disarmed Mako, but it was too late to do anything for Leah.

Cerberus advanced on her first prime and locked her hand around her slender throat. Why did you do that? she demanded. Sbe could have had valuable intelligence!

Defiantly, Mako pulled free of Cerberus’ grip. Anything you could have learnt from Leah you’ll get more easily from him, and without all the whining, she said, pointing at Lars. She batted her eyelashes at Cerberus. What’s more, if you let me question him, I promise not to kill him.

***

The nightmare of pummelling blows ceased abruptly.

A door opened, admitting a slice of light.

The interrogators left, and the door closed after them.

Lars Tremonte dangled naked from his bound wrists, which were secured to a hook along the overhead of his sweltering, oppressively humid cell aboard the Morpheus.

His interrogators had shown little interest in actually asking him any questions, being content simply to beat him for hours on end. They’re pulling their punches, he realised. Softening me up for someone else. It was the only way he could explain why he wasn’t dead yet.

Every part of his body hurt. He tried to assess his own injuries. His right eye was swollen shut; the view through his left eye was veiled in a reddish haze. Welts and bruises mushroomed across both sides of his torso, and his face felt puffy and half numb. Blood, salty and metallic, oozed from between his loosened teeth and dribbled over his split lower lip, which registered every drop as a fiery sting of pain. He was certain that several of his ribs had been cracked. His grip on consciousness felt tenuous at best.

Respiration was difficult; his nostrils were thick with dried blood, and mucus was pooling in his sinuses. He was content to breathe through his mouth, because the sickening, charnel odours that permeated this cramped, shadowy space were ones that he had no desire to smell again. Death. Blood, urine, and feces. Decaying flesh, broiled skin, scorched hair. This entire deck of the Morpheus bore the stench of a slaughterhouse.

A shrieking of metal as the door opened again. Light, dim and red, slashed into the cell and threw Lars’ long, twisted shadow across the floor. From another cell farther down the corridor came the sounds of a woman screaming in terror, and male guards laughing with malicious abandon.

Barely audible under the screaming and the low pulse of the ship’s engines, the voices of Mako and Cerberus were close by, right outside Lars’ cell door.

Remember your promise, Cerberus said. Don’t kill him.

A girlish chuckle. I guarantee, you, Cerberus. He won’t die. At least, not today.

Footsteps, then shadows obscured the light from the door. Cerberus and her First Prime Mako entered the cell and stood directly behind Lars, who was too heavily restrained and too stiff to turn his head. Look at him, Mako said with mocking sweetness. So sad. He used to be so handsome. It seems like such a waste.

What do you think he can tell you? Cerberus asked.

Everything, Mako said. He’s going to tell me everything. Where the Crystal Vipers Syndicate bases are located. How they’re defended. The number of people in each one…. He’s going to tell me who sold them their hyperdrive. What the Syndicate’s strategic objectives are. And so much more. Before I’m done I’ll know everything about Kes and whoever else is helping her run that little syndicate full of rebels. I’ll have their life stories.

Cerberus grunted her acknowledgment, then inquired, What about the other prisoners from the Sagittarius?

Worthless, Mako said. Execute them. The dry scrapes of shuffling feet matched the swaying of Cerberus and Mako’s shadows on the far wall of the cell. Mako asked, How long until we rendezvous with the Executrix?

Fifteen hours, Cerberus said. They’re holding station in the Plutonian system until we arrive.

A purr of satisfaction from Mako. And have we heard back from Alexis Mila?

Rest assured that the traverser has brought me up to speed with respect to Natasi’s treachery. As agreed the Executrix will be designated as your flagship as soon as you step aboard, Cerberus said.

Excellent, she said, in a tone that Lars knew must have been accompanied by a lethal looking smile. Natasi has secretly been aiding the Crystal Vipers Syndicate and we believe has also been in contact with the Zhann Alliance from the other universe. Any thoughts on what fate should befall her?

I’m sure she’s attractive enough for you to want to indulge yourself with as you deliver her a slow, painful, and well deserved death. In fact she might not even feel any pain if you fuck her hard enough before she’s actually dead, Cerberus said, provoking herself and Mako into gales of sadistic laughter.

When they finally regained their composure, Mako said, The Crystal Vipers are desperate. Their numbers have been diminishing ever since you made me your first prime. I’ll make sure that trend continues.

Indeed, and for that I’ll always be in your debt, Cerberus said.

It’s my pleasure to serve you and your justly cause, Cerberus, she said, then adopted a more seductive tone. And no different than other times, it goes beyond all of that. Perhaps we can pleasure ourselves and our desires at a later date… Now, if you’ll excuse me.

The shadows parted, then the door closed and darkness descended once more. The only illumination, harsh and white, came from directly above Lars and spilled in a tight circle around his feet.

Sharp clacks on the deck. Footfalls in spike heeled boots. First Prime Mako circled him in languid strides, looking him over like a butcher studying a cut of meat. She no longer wore the SkySec uniform in which he had seen her outfitted on the bridge of the Sagittarius. The first prime was attired in her trademark black body suit, its surface form fitting and almost mirror perfect in its glossy sheen. Around her brow was a silver headpiece. From her perfectly styled hair to her expertly manicured fingernails, she was a living portrait of glorious vanity.

Hello, Lars, she said. It’s been quite a while since we’ve been alone together, hasn’t it? With the knuckle of her index finger, she propped his head up. I can’t tell you how much I’ve been looking forward to this.