Chapter 4

Lazarus

The bridge is bubbling with excitement and curiosity. We were able to retrieve a female from that lesser planet, and she survived the journey. It was a beautiful planet shining blue and green with large specs of white fluffy clouds blowing inside the atmosphere. So much like our planet but still not quite right.

The technicians were able to connect to their information base, the internet I think they called it, and with the translator we were able to read and watch a lot of information about this planet and the intelligent species that lives there, humans as they call themselves. The scientists also retrieved a large amount of edible plants to program into our food synthesiser. Hopefully the human will appreciate that, to be able to eat some of the foods she is used to.

From what the Farnders says their physical bodies are similar to ours, except that they are slightly smaller. But the Farnders do not think that will pose any hindrance from crossbreeding with us. Their newborn seems to be about the same size as ours, it's just that we grow larger during our youth.

The humans do have a strange color to their skin, from a slightly pale pink to a dark rich brown, that differs from our natural pale blue to dark blue. But I have to admit that the females are quite beautiful with their generous curves and soft looking bodies. There seems to be those who are quite slim as well, but I would rather have one that looks more like the Galdrian women. The Galdrian women have large chests and wide hips that are perfect for carrying and nurturing children, and of course to please their males. 

The female we now have on our ship has a somewhat pale pinkish skin color together with long pale hair. Skillys has shown the whole crew a picture of her, but no one is yet allowed to meet with her. He says she will need some time to digest everything that has happened to her. It is not easy to get abducted from your home, family and life in the middle of the night, then taken to an alien spaceship. I guess he is right in that but I want to meet my future mate as soon as possible.

What everyone else doesn't know is that I have been allowed to follow my little human for the past three months since I chose her. I have seen film clips of her, heard her voice and seen a lot of pictures of her. I will be the first to experience this new, and fairly young species. If I am successful in mating and impregnating her and she can carry the child to birth, we will collect more females.

Since I am of royal birth and next in line for the throne, my father saw it fitting that I should be the first to try. If it is a failure and the mating doesn’t result in a child, my brother will inherit the throne instead.

“Laz!” I get forcefully pulled from my thoughts by the booming voice of my best friend, and the platoon strategist, right next to my ear. 

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Kurn?” I bark out at the same time as I take a swing at the bastard's head, which he easily evades with a small chuckle. Blinking and looking around I realise that we are still on the bridge, and all my subordinates are doing their best to not fall in with Kurns chuckle, with mixed results. I can feel my cheeks turn a soft purple as embarrassment falls over me. I got caught daydreaming on the shift.

“Where did you go off to? We have been trying to get your attention för the past five minutes.” Kurn keeps chuckling.

I look over in his direction. Kurns boyish face is scrunched up from the withheld laughter. He is as old as me and we have been friends since we were young. He has dark blue skin, short curly midnight blue hair with matching eyes. Kurn is one of our longest soldiers on the ship with his 7’3. With his wide shoulders, muscular chest, arms and legs he is by far the largest in every aspect.

Being a military unit demands for us to be ready for close combat as well as space war, therefore we make sure to train several times during our rest between shifts and let’s say that Kurn takes training very seriously. “Perhaps our captain is thinking about his little mate sleeping in the research facility?” He teasingly murmurs, loud enough for only me to hear.

I pick up my empty paper cup that sits on my side table and chuck it at his head. “Shut up!” I sigh and look out at space in front of us. This galaxy is very calm and peaceful, no ships flying around, no pirates to look out for. Nothing. It's boring as hell. No wonder I daydream instead of keeping watch of the space around us. “What's our status?” I drawl in a bored tone. Even if it is silent and peaceful now there is a possibility that will change now that we are here. Where a Galdrian spaceship goes, pirates soon follow. 

“There is nothing to report.” Keyan, our pilot, says in his raspy voice. “This galaxy really is quiet. No ships, nothing at all. Just empty space. If I may speak freely-” He takes a pause to look at me and I give a nod. “-it is quite a boring place!” I try to keep back a smile as I look at Keyan. His face is still impassive even as I faintly hear snickering around the bridge.

Keyan is an older Galdrian with a pale blue skin color. His face is completely covered in darker freckles, wrinkles and a long dark green beard speckled with grey. His clean shaven, freckled head shines in the faint light of the bridge. Keyan always says that one day he woke up and all his hair had fallen from the top of his head down to his chin and never came back. He always knows how to lighten the mood on the bridge, and he always does it with a straight face.

“I won't disagree with that statement, but we still have to stay focused because we never know when pirates or others will show up. Soon it will be out that we have been sent here so others will want to know what interest The Intergalactic Committee has with a galaxy so far out.” I answered him and looked at the time to see that our shift is soon to be over and that Pallas' platoon will start to head in any minute. “Finish up with the reports, make sure we are still on route and circling the planet so that the next team will have a smooth start.” We are not circling the planet we took the human from but one a few planets away. Even if they have not yet reached far out to space they have technology to look pretty far out. We want to minimise the risk of being found out by them and give them a scare.

“Aye!” There is a united chorus of answers and everyone finishes up their work. I open my log and finish up my report.

“So a female huh? She looked really pretty. I’m sure you can't wait to have her under you.” Kurn tries to tease me and when he doesn’t get any response he says. “I sure as hell would want her under me!” I know Kurn is only trying to bait me but I still feel my possessive nature rising. I haven't marked her yet and don't forget that I haven’t even met her, but still, she is mine. I chose her and she is brought here for me. If Kurn will even think of trying anything he will definitely feel it afterwards.

“You will have to wait until we know if this is a successful match before you get your own female. I will certainly not share mine.” I snap at him, earning a chuckle in response from him.

Soon enough Pallas' platoon comes in to take over, we give our reports, joke around some and then leave the bridge for them to handle. There are a total of four platoons stationed on this ship, The Royal Vorian, to make sure everyone gets enough rest in between shifts. I am one of the four captains, but only for a short while longer.

Since I am next in the royal line I have to go back to Galdrion to take the throne from my father if this mating is successful. My brother Sevrin is also captain but on another battleship stationed to guard The Intergalactic Committee and our sister Ayala resides at our home planet in the sanctuary for females and children. Even though it's been years since I last met my sister, we speak every other day through virtual communication. At times my father, Sevrin, Ayala and I have dinner together through the VC. It's not the same as being there and together but it is better than nothing.

If all goes as planned Sevrin will go here next to find a mate of his own. Since there are so few Galadrian females left there are none that would be a good fit for either me or Severin. We are so closely related to them that mating could cause genetic diseases.

“See you at the gym,” Kurn calls to me as he leaves the bridge. I’m still speaking to Pallas so I give Kurn an affirmative nod.

As I leave the bridge I see Skillys hurry towards me with an anxious look on his face. “Forgive us Captain Lazarus, but the human female has disappeared from the research facility. Me just got notice from Nim. Us did think it would take longer for the female to gain its strength.” He looks nervously at me, afraid he will get punished for the bad security around the alien species on our ship. Perhaps the human is stronger than what the Farnders expected.

“Were there no guards stationed outside the room?” I feel irritation and worry build up in my chest at the news. A species that we don't yet have much intelligence on is moving freely around my ship, even if they seem to be fairly weak they are intelligent and can do a lot of damage. And not only is it a security breach to have an unknown individual moving around the ship, but it's actually my future mate that has been lost. “Where is she now?”

“Nim is in the examination room still-” Skillys starts, but I interrupt what he’s saying.

“Not Nim.” My irritation slips through and I see Skillys flinch at the sharpness of my words. Sometimes I wonder if the Farnders actually have a higher intelligence than Galdrians. I close my eyes and take a deep breath to calm myself. “The human. Where is the human?”

“S-sorry sir.” Skillys stammered out, visibly nervous about my outburst. “It must have left shortly after I left it to rest. It cannot have gotten too far.” Skillys is running to try and keep up with my large strides as I hurry towards the research facility. “Me can tell Nim to go look for it.”

“No need, I will go.” I sighed, increasing my pace even more. “We have no idea if the human will be aggressive or how strong she is. It is better that a Galdrian goes after her.” The Farnders are a species that are fairly weak and fragile. They are not built to hold themselves in combat as they are actually one of the few intelligent species that are completely vegetarian, meaning they are not predators but prey. Out of the intelligent species known to The Intergalactic Committee there are only three that are classed as prey.

In a few minutes we reached the examination room. Nim is standing in the open door with tears in her eyes wringing her small hands in front of her. “Cap-captain Lazarus. It can not have left long before m-me came here. It has r-removed all medical equipment and even pu-pulled out the plug to the monitor. M-me was on me way here when me got a message a-about the monitor malfunctioning. Me hurried as fast as me could but the human was gone.”

There is a slight tremble to her voice as she stammers out her rapport and Skillys quickly moves to put a protective arm around his mate. I gnashed my teeth in frustration and anger. I know that Farnders often get mistreated by stronger and more aggressive species, and the history for both Skillys and Nim is far from happy, but they have been on this ship for four years now and should know that no one here will abuse them for their mistakes. Even if I feel like giving them a punishment for their carelessness.

I take a deep breath to calm myself. “Relax Nim, I will find her.” I say calmly and put my large hand on Nim’s small shoulder to show that I will not hurt her and she immediately exhales and relaxes a little. “Which direction could she have gone?”

“Me came from there-” Nim points to the direction that we came from “-so it should have gone the opposite direction.” I give Nims shoulder a squeeze and with a nod towards the two Farndes I leave in the opposite direction from which I came.

I try to keep the sound of my boots low so that I won't scare the human when I find her. Soon I reach the relaxing room that divides the research facility and the large dining hall. Giving the room a quick glance I abruptly stop. There she is, standing by the large window looking out into space, her small hands on the glass.

It's not just her hands that are small. All of her is small, like a teenager. She is taller than the Farnders but she can't be more than 5’8, probably even shorter. Her pale hair is long and lay straight against her back, all the way to her backside, or what I believe to be her backside. It is hard to see the shape of her body under that hideous hospital gown. Her whole being is so pale it looks like she is shining against the dark background.

She doesn’t notice me so for a long time I stand there, silently watching her thinking about how I should make my presence known. I have to be gentle with my approach now to make sure she’s not spooked more than she already is. 

To think that this little creature is mine. Even if I don’t know her yet I feel a connection to her when I see her standing there and a possessive desire for her pools at the bottom of my stomach. She is mine, and mine only.  I feel a want to hold her, to touch her, to taste her, to feel her writhing in pleasure beneath me. My trousers get uncomfortably tight and I use my hand to adjust myself before crossing my arms over my chest and clear my throat to make my presence known.

She spins around and gives out the loudest shriek I have ever heard.

***