Status: Series/Sequel: Will to Power V

Archive: Please ask first if we haven't given permission for previous stories.
Feedback: Hell yes! :)
E-mail: angyl@infinitum3.com, orithain@infinitum3.com

Website: http://www.infinitum3.com

Disclaimers: Neither of us is the ghost of Gene Roddenberry, so no, not ours. Except for Loki.

Summary: Harper's cousin is still alive back on Earth, but what can he do about it?

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Will to Power V:
Gazing into the Abyss
By Angyl and Orithain
March 2004
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He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby
become a monster. And if you gaze for long into an abyss, the
abyss gazes also into you.
 ~ Beyond Good and Evil; Friedrich Nietzsche, 1886
 

Tyr sat back and stared at the message that he'd just received in his quarters, grateful that this was Harper's shift in Engineering. He needed some time to think about this, to decide how best to proceed, before saying anything to his mate... if in fact he ever did.

He looked at the images sent to him by his brother Balder, whom he had sent to Earth to discover the whereabouts of Harper's family and to see if the Dragans' grip on the human homeworld was quite as firm as they would have everyone believe.

Balder had not been overly pleased by the mission, sharing many Nietzscheans' opinion of the value of and proper place for kludges, but he was not ready to challenge Tyr for his position, and so he went. Tyr had to admit to a certain relief in having his brother far away from his new wife, Elsbett Mossadim, the former Sabra First Daughter, the woman Balder had wanted for his own First Wife.

His discontent notwithstanding, Balder had fulfilled his mission, even sending back a picture of the one remaining member of Harper's family, a cousin whom Harper had mentioned frequently when talking about his past, Brendan Lahey. Now Tyr had to decide what to do about it.

He knew if he told Harper, the human would want to rescue his last living relative, but even though the Drago-Katzov pride's status was slipping, they had a strong grip on Earth. It would be a battle to wrest it from them, and while Tyr was confident of his abilities, was this the right time to make the attempt?

The door opening let him know that he had to make the decision now, and he hesitated for an instant, then allowed the image to remain on the monitor as Harper entered their quarters.

"Hey there, tall, dark and uber," Harper grinned as he strolled into their quarters, removing his tool belt and placing it neatly by the door. Who'd have thought his perfect lover was a perfectly anal neat freak? The human chuckled to himself as he toed off his work boots and nudged them sort of into the corner before walking up behind Tyr in order to bury his face in the dark, fragrant mass of his mate's hair, burrowing in long enough to press a kiss on the Nietzschean's neck.

"So, what are you working o-- Brendan?" Harper's jaw dropped, and he moved around to Tyr's side to take a better look at the older cousin he'd looked up to with hero-worship during his barely remembered stay in the slave camps on Earth. He'd idolized his cousin with everything he had and had tried to live up to Brendan's example of resistance and defiance... which had led to his banishment from Earth to the slave factories of the Orca.

The last he'd seen of Brendan, the older boy had been fighting with the Dragans with every fiber of his being, trying to get to Harper as he was being led onto the slave transport, and then Brendan was shot and falling. Harper had thought his cousin was dead, and it had been another cross for him to bear in silence, but now... "Brendan is alive? But how? Where? Tyr, what's going on?"

"I've been checking up on your family, trying to find out what happened to them. He," nodding to the image, "is the last one left alive. Although I'm frankly amazed he's survived this long. He's a member of the human resistance against the Dragans, one with a price on his head. He's managed to annoy them quite thoroughly, to the point that they're about to go after him specifically." Left unsaid was the fact that Brendan wouldn't stand a chance if that happened.

"Oh God." Harper stumbled over to the couch and sat heavily on it, his mind working at slip drive speed while his body tried to keep up. Brendan alive. And a resistance leader and... "I need to go help him, Tyr. I know it might be hard for you to convince your Pride--I mean I'm a kludge, and so's Brendan--but I need to go. Will you let me go with the Maru's crew, please?

So quickly the moment of decision had come upon him. He could let the humans go, keeping Kodiak out of it, or he could take the chance of expanding their influence and give Harper something he wanted at the same time. It wasn't much of a choice.

"We may be able to gain both our desires," he said, turning to face Harper, brown eyes sharply focused. "You to save your cousin, and I... I to destroy the Drago-Katzov influence once and for all."

"You realize that you're talking about going to war with the biggest Pride in the Nietzschean Empire, right? I mean the first pride, the one that was named after your progenitor guy. I know Kodiak's almost as big, and now it has Sabra as allies, but do you really want to do this?" Harper asked slowly. He loved Tyr just that much more for offering, but he couldn't in good conscience let his lover go to war over his cousin. He could go to war but not the Kodiaks.

"For the first time Kodiak is in a position to change that, to take the Dragans down and be rid of them. I have been toying with the idea for some time, but certain other considerations distracted me, and then the Orca attack made it impossible for a time. But now, with the alliance with the Sabra, we are more powerful than ever. It is time to seize pre-eminence."

Harper looked at his mate with shadowed eyes. "And then you'll be the Pride Alpha of the strongest Pride in the known universe, well, the known united one. It's what you always dreamed of." And what I fear more than anything, even Magog infestation, Harper thought to himself.

Taking a deep breath, he buried his fears, for they were his and his alone. He trusted Tyr to be Tyr and the Nietzschean he loved. "On the bright side, if Loki finds out there's another 'Harper' out there, he might leave yours alone," the human chuckled. "Not that he's tried anything since you warned him, but he's still fascinated. Why I just can't figure out, but he is. Who'd have thought with all your genetic superiority that you would have one fatal weakness - Harper lovin'?"

"My son has good taste... and a disturbing lack of sense of self-preservation," Tyr half growled. Now he was determined to find this cousin. He had not considered the possibility, but if Loki could be distracted, it would please him. He was amused by his son's desires but not to the point that he would allow him to touch Harper.

"Like father like son," Harper grinned, sprawling on the couch and relegating Brendan to the back of his mind until he had some alone time to process it--like when he was putting the final tweaks and touches into Rommie's avatar body. "Seems to me you have very little self-preservation when it comes to the Harper as well, chasing around the galaxy, risking life and ship, raiding brothels and training facilities..."

"Getting you out of the trouble you manage to find is a full-time occupation." Tyr shook his head, pushing away from his desk and pacing toward Harper, tossing aside his shirt as he did. Coming to a halt in front of the couch, thumbs hooked into the waistband of his leather pants, he grinned down at the blond. "And a thankless task apparently."

"Ahh, but I wasn't in trouble at Uncle Sid's. I was an employee," Harper grinned, knowing he was pushing his luck but not caring. Growly, possessive Tyr was his favorite of all the various sides of his lover. There was something safe in the way Tyr claimed ownership at those times, almost like coming home. "Made damn good money too, almost enough to buy my own ship, can you believe?"

The furious snarl that escaped the big Nietzschean was still reverberating in the room when he landed on top of Harper, pressing him down into the cushions. "No one else touches you," he growled. "You. Are. Mine!" He bit down on Harper's throat, just short of breaking the skin, lifting himself just enough to tear at the blond's clothes.

"Oh, God, yes!" Harper moaned, luxuriating in the way Tyr just took over and dominated him. "I know I'm yours now. Then I was confused and scared and angry but now... all yours, only yours. Forever yours!" the human swore fervently as Tyr's tongue lapped at the blood his second bite had drawn, making Harper's body shudder with ecstasy.

"Yes." The single word was all that Tyr was willing to take time for, his mouth more pleasurably occupied with seeking out all the sensitive spots on Harper's body, making his mate squirm and moan. Still wearing the tight leather pants, Tyr wedged a leg between Harper's and rubbed the smooth fabric against Harper's dripping cock, arousing him still more.

Writhing against Tyr's leather clad leg, his cock dripping with pre-come as he rubbed against something hard and firm and... "Oh God!" the young man whimpered as he found and worried a patch of the Nietzschean's skin between his teeth, all the while continuing his grinding dance against his lover's leg.

Grunting and moaning and gasping as they teased each other to greater arousal, Harper felt himself begin to shake with arousal. So close, so very... "TYR!" the young man wailed as his body tensed and shook, and he came against the leather of Tyr's pants just from the foreplay alone.

"That's one." Tyr picked Harper up and carried him to the bed, putting him down at the edge before pulling off his own pants. Staring down at the limp and satiated human, Tyr stood between his legs and pressed inside him slowly, a fraction at a time.

"One?" Harper whimpered as he felt Tyr's thickness slide into him inch by excruciatingly slow inch. "Oh fuck, it's gonna be one of those nights, isn't it?" the younger man continued, not sure if he should be pleased at the fact he was going to be a well fucked pile of goo or worried for his vocal chords and the shredding he knew they were about to receive.

"Yes." Tyr's voice was a possessive growl, and he lightly scraped his arm spikes over Harper's nipples then along his cock, knowing how his lover reacted to that.

Breath hitching, Harper's body responded on contact like the good little Pavlovian dog he was when it came to being played with by his lover. And he didn't really mind the comparison, not when it came to Tyr. After all, anyone in their right mind would love to wrap their mouth around his lover's 'bone', but that was something only Harper did... Well, Harper and the bitch planetside and whatever other wives Tyr took eventually, but Seamus wasn't going there.

Moaning, the human's head thrashed back and forth, and his hands fisted on the comforter that had found its way onto the bed some time ago when Tyr had found out that Harper got cold in space. Just one more of those little things that had the human head over heels crazy for his Nietz.

Wrapping his legs around Tyr's waist, Harper's feet pressed against the older man's ass, trying to get him to go faster, get deeper. "C'mon, Tyr, please?" He begged without shame. "Just fuck me already."

"I am. Can't you feel me?" To make sure that he could, Tyr suddenly slammed forward, driving as deep inside Harper as he could go, then stilled, holding Harper motionless as he filled him.

"Oh God!" Harper gasped, body arching and jaw going slack as he was filled to the point of exploding. He'd forgotten to stick a butt plug in this morning, and now he was virginal all over again, thanks to the nanobots.

Thank God they also repaired the damage caused by being cherry picked over and over again, so Harper knew he'd actually be able to sit in the morning and eat solid food too. Gross but a fact of his life he'd come to live with; after all, when you had a lover the size of a fucking tree...

Moaning, the younger man felt his body adjust and give even as he lunged up to bite Tyr's shoulder hard. "You're not moving, so how can that be fucking? Now move!" he demanded hotly.

"Demanding little Pet," Tyr laughed, slowly pulling back, inch by torturous inch, until only the very tip of him remained inside Harper, then slamming back inside him again. He repeated the motion over and over, never releasing his iron grip on Harper's hips so all the human could do was lie there and take it, mewling for more.

"Da-damn straight I am. Oh God, Tyr!" Harper wailed, as he was fucked hard and fast until he felt like one giant, throbbing nerve. His eyes fell shut, and his breathing became labored while his hands clenched and unclenched on the comforter.

It didn't take much for a body trained to be a sex toy and a man in love with his mate to be re-aroused, and all too soon he felt the burn at the base of his spine that heralded an orgasm, and then he was coming, streaks of semen splattering across his stomach and chest as Tyr's cock continued to plunge in and out of him.

Tyr laughed darkly, never stopping, simply changing his rhythm as he continued to pump in and out of Harper's receptive body. Tonight he wanted Harper again and again, planning to keep him up all night and wring every last bit of response out of him. For whatever reason, all the Nietzschean's possessive instincts had been roused, and he intended to claim his mate thoroughly.

He growled as the spasms of Harper's climax rippled around him, but he was nowhere near losing control and simply rode them out before shifting them so they were lying on the bed, his hips never faltering in their rhythm.

***

By the time third watch rolled around, Harper was a severely dehydrated, totally hoarse and completely well fucked Nietzschean pet. He had been taken on the bed in every position possible, up against the wall, in the shower, over the couch, in the chair, on the floor, on the dresser, over the table, against the door, against the com unit, over a desk, on the bathroom counter, straddling the toilet and a few more ways that his tired brain couldn't remember.

Even now Tyr's cock was once more buried in his ass as his lover was spooned up behind him, moving slowly and almost lethargically, petting and stroking his human soothingly. "Tyr," he managed to croak out, his throat feeling like it had been through a blender, "can't come anymore; I'm well and truly fucked, really I am!"

His hand curling around the not quite soft cock, Tyr chuckled and bit gently on the nape of Harper's neck. "Oh, I think that you can manage one more... and then you can sleep." He wanted to come as well, finally sated by their night of sex, the room reeking of them now, which soothed him.

Whining weakly, Harper let his head sag back against Tyr's shoulder, feeling his body, impossibly, rouse again. Only Tyr could do this to him, play him so well that even when he wanted to do nothing more than drag his sorry ass into the shower, hose off and then crawl back into bed and sleep for a month, he felt himself spring back into action one final time. "You're trying to kill me, aren't you?"

"Never. You're mine, Harper, mine." The growl came directly in his ear an instant before sharp teeth closed on the lobe, nipping and tugging, and Tyr's hips began to move fractionally faster. His hand continued to move on Harper's erection, arm spikes brushing his belly, adding a spice of danger.

Whimpering, Harper twined his fingers through Tyr's and held on weakly as his lover laid claim to him one last time this night. He could feel every ridge of Tyr's shaft as the older man moved within him, could count his lover's heartbeats on his back. It was comforting and arousing even though he was sore and tired and so dehydrated that his tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth and his throat felt like raw hamburger.

In spite of all of that he was hard again. Harper guessed he was well and truly a slut when it came to Tyr, but--he grinned--there were worse things in life to be around his uber lover. Mewling in near silence, he let his eyes fall shut and let Tyr move in him and over him and around him, riding his arousal instead of letting it ride him.

Tyr continued stroking Harper's sticky cock in time with his almost languid thrusts inside him, their arousal almost gentle this time after hours of hard fucking. Slowly, it built, finally breaking over both of them almost simultaneously.

Collapsing, spent, onto the bed, Harper whimpered almost painfully as Tyr pulled out. He felt raw both inside and out and knew that he had to be dripping come from his ass constantly, but he was too damn tired to do anything about it. He also wanted some Sparky cola, but there was no way he was going to get up and get it.

Mewling as Tyr picked him up and carried him into the bathroom, he snuffled and buried himself into his lover's chest, trusting Tyr to take care of him completely. The Nietzschean captain easily supported his lover as he washed them both in the shower, dried them off and carried Harper back to the bed. He laid him down against the pillows, veering off to get a can of that sugared caffeine that Harper loved before sliding in beside him and pulling the comforter over the exhausted human.

Sipping the cola slowly, feeling the carbonation give his raw throat a pleasurable burn as well as begin to hydrate his parched body again, Harper lounged against the Nietzschean's chest. "So, he whispered, not yet willing to strain his vocal chords even though he was sure the nanobots were busily repairing the damage to his body, "you're really going to war against the Dragans.

"Does anyone else know about Brendan?" he asked, his mind already spinning scenarios. It was actually eerie how Nietzschean-like in his thinking he was becoming, not that he'd ever say that to Tyr--the uber might let it go to his head, after all.

"Only my brother Balder. He's the one who tracked him down. But he and his ship are still just outside the Terran system, waiting for orders from me. No one will use your cousin as a hostage, Harper. I'll do everything possible to get him free."

"I can't believe I'm going to say this, but right now I'm more concerned with someone using your obvious affection for your human kludge of a lover against you. And before you start growling, I know you don't think of me as a kludge and neither do the command staff and the engineering staff as well as a good portion of the ship, but they're in the minority, Tyr, and you need to be realistic about this.

"If someone wants to challenge you for position, this would be the way they'd do it; you're declaring war on the oldest pride over a kludge. You've got to play this right and play it smart. And you can start by making sure your brother stays quiet and busy. I wouldn't trust him farther than I can throw him. I've done some reading up on your next sibling and... well, you need to watch your back; that's all I'm gonna say on the matter."

Harper took a deep breath and continued. "If you're gonna do this, you're gonna have to let me and the Maru do our part. You take care of the war, and we take care of Brendan. That way, if no one but you knows what we're doing, it'll look like I took advantage of the situation to get my cousin out of danger and not like you did this just to make me happy. Balder can say what the hell he likes, but there won't be any way to link you if no one knows, not even Rommie."

Tyr didn't like it, but he knew Harper was right. "I will not send you entirely alone, even though I did plan to make use of the Maru and its crew. Agravaine Rhade will go with you, however." Seeing that Harper was about to protest, he continued, "I do not believe he would allow Hunt to go without him, Pet."

"What do you mean?" Harper asked, glancing back over his shoulder to see the amusement written all over Tyr's face. "You mean Dylan's letting a Nietz do him? No fucking way! And a male Nietz at that. Does Beka know?"

"You must be the only person on the ship who doesn't know," Tyr said, amused. "And yes, Captain Valentine is aware. I believe she helped them along, since Rhade was constrained by the unique status of your friends aboard this ship, and Hunt appeared rather blind to the whole situation. That woman would make a stupendous matriarch."

"She's human, Tyr. I somehow don't think that's allowed. I mean can you picture Beka Valentine as the Kodiak Pride matriarch? Your progenitor would roll over in his grave or something," Harper snorted. "And hey, I've been kinda busy taking care of my baby and giving her a body and having you do wicked things to my body. Besides, I haven't seen them since we got back from... oh man, you mean they've been doin' it since you got married to the viper? And no one told me?! How rude!"

"I didn't mean of my pride, Harper! But she has the right attitude, if humans had matriarchs.

"And yes, Hunt, Valentine and Rhade reached some sort of an accommodation while they were on the planet. I have not inquired too closely since it is none of my concern. Rhade will have to marry soon though. Fortunately, one of my sisters finds him interesting and is not likely to object to his human lovers so long as no child results."

About to jump to the defense of his 'sister', Harper wisely bit his tongue, knowing that it was an argument that neither would win and both would end up hurting from. A human and a Nietzschean just shouldn't discuss anything to do with opinions on mating, procreation and worthiness. Especially when said human and Nietzschean were sleeping together.

Grunting noncommittally, Harper quickly finished his cola and snuggled back into Tyr's arms. "Night, Tyr," he yawned, closing his eyes and willing his mind to stop its hamster on a wheel spinning in circles thing that it had going on. "Talk in the morning, 'kay?" Or hopefully never again on this particular subject.

***

Tyr left for the bridge the next morning after suggesting that Harper talk to Beka and Hunt and see if they had any ideas for getting them all onto Earth. "Including Rhade," Tyr added emphatically. "You're not going without him. And you might want to see if your friend Rafe wants to go along as well. It might help him to strike back at someone. And if he goes, so will the purple girl. I have a feeling that she may prove to be more than she appears."

"Yes sir, Captain Anasazi sir!" Harper saluted smartly before ducking the hand that was aimed at his ass. "Hey, I was agreeing with you!" he grinned, running around the other side of the sofa to avoid a stalking Tyr. "You're gonna be late if you don't get to the bridge, and I need to plan a rescue mission. And you are staying out of it from this point on!"

Tyr growled but had conceded that he was going to be late at least and left a chuckling Harper behind him.

"Rommie, can you have Beka, Dylan, Rafe, Trance and," Harper sighed and conceded defeat, "Mr. Rhade come to the captain's quarters, and then engage privacy mode when they get here. Not even you can overhear, Rom-doll."

"Understood, Harper. But if I might suggest, if you can have my avatar up and running by the time we get to Earth... the captain won't utilize it, but it could aid you."

"Great idea, Romster, thanks!"

Shortly afterward, the people Harper had summoned arrived at the captain's quarters, Rhade somewhat surprised to be included with the humans and very curious as to what was going on.

Trance watched Rafe closely, a little worried by how he'd react to close proximity to a Nietzschean, no matter that Rhade was Kodiak not Orca. She also had some disturbing flashes of their future and promised herself to be on her guard.

"What's up, Harper?" Beka wanted to know, settling on one end of a sofa, Dylan and Rhade taking the other two spots.

"Rommie, engage the lock so that no one can get in, even Tyr, and then engage privacy mode please," Harper requested first, despite the raised eyebrows and Rhade's openly hostile look.

"As you wish Harper. Privacy mode being engaged, Andromeda out."

Taking a deep breath, Harper looked at everyone in the room, his face more serious than it had been in a long time. "First of all, this isn't a coup, Rhade; Tyr knew about the meeting and suggested your presence. Well, actually he ordered it, but he also figured you wouldn't let," and at this point Harper actually smirked, "Dylan and Beka go anywhere without you. Oh and thanks for keeping me up to speed, purpleness; when Tyr told me, I nearly choked!"

Dylan's blush was more than amusing, but the look of shock that Rafe turned on his sister was unexpected. "Okay, so maybe I wasn't the only one who didn't know."

Trance giggled slightly. "How was I supposed to know that you were totally oblivious to what was going on under your nose?" Seeing the look Rafe now turned on her, she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You had no way of knowing; you don't spend time with them, Rafe. And neither Beka nor I was sure how you would react. We thought it was better to wait to tell you."

"What exactly are you planning, human?" Rhade wanted to know.

"Geez, keep this up and I'm gonna tell Tyr to rethink letting his sister marry you, Mr. Grouchy pants," Harper shot back, sticking out his tongue at the first officer before shooting Dylan a 'we're gonna talk' look.

Rafe watched the interaction between his sister, Hunt and the Nietzschean with hooded eyes. He wasn't sure what he thought about this right now. He couldn't deny that these Nietzes weren't like the Orca, but they were still boneheads. Only time would tell. His hand unconsciously reached for Trance's, his lifeline and his sanity. "And finding out like this was better?" he asked Trance, his voice low and private.

"You weren't going to like it regardless," she shrugged, moving a little closer, fingers tightening on his.

"I was going to tell you, Rafe, just not yet. I didn't think you needed to hear about it yet... and frankly, I'm still not sure exactly where this is going." Beka glanced across Dylan at Rhade, who met her gaze.

Rhade simply nodded, also uncertain. He'd started this because he wanted Hunt, but somewhere along the line he'd found himself wanting the human female as well. As for the other... "I do not believe my marriage is any concern of yours, Harper," he said coldly.

"Knock it off, Rhade," Dylan ground out before Harper could open his mouth. "Harper's family to not only Beka and me but to Tyr; besides you're being obnoxious."

"Umm, thanks boss," Harper grinned shyly. "So I'm still part of the family, hunh? Means a lot to hear that."

Ducking his head to hide the blinking away of sudden moisture in his eyes, Harper cleared his throat. "What I'm going to say can't leave this room. Tyr knows I'm telling you, so it's cool that way, but... Kodiak's about to declare war on the Dragans. First target is Earth."

Rhade stood up, irritated both with Harper for talking about what did not concern him and Dylan for his comment. "I will speak to the captain. If he insists that I accompany you, I will do so. Otherwise, you can keep this in your 'family'."

"Oh for cryin' out... Look, I'm sorry I made that crack; I'd never say anything like that to Tyr. That's between you and him and his sister, and I know that. However, I'm gonna damn well protect my family from the same sort of hell I went through when I found out after the fact, so you'd better get used to that too," Harper snapped, glaring at the Nietzschean, not the least bit intimidated by the uber attitude.

"Nice to know that you've been guarding my sorry ass for all these months and you think so fucking highly of me, Rhade," the younger man continued bitterly. "Now will you sit down, and shut up for a minute because I'm not through."

Hesitating, Rhade stood at the door for a moment, then turned back to face them, arms crossed over his chest. Although he remained in the room, he did not relent far enough to sit back down.

Turning back to the others, Harper tried to unclench his fists and relax. "The other news is that my cousin Brendan is alive and is leading the human resistance against the Dragans. He's been targeted to die for his constant interference and his ability to organize and lead a bunch of dumb ass kludges with no weapons against the Dragans and turn them into a damned good resistance movement that is actually gaining ground.

"Tyr gave the Maru crew carte blanche as to what we do when we get to Earth. Meaning we can rescue Brendan and aid the resistance within reason while the Kodiaks engage the Drago-Katzovs. I'm hoping you guys will help me. Well, not everyone will be there to help me, that much is obvious, but... I hope my family will give me a hand," he finished, looking at from Dylan and Beka to Trance and Rafe.

"Of course we'll help, Harper," Dylan replied immediately, getting up to go stand next to his friend. "Friends help friends, and so does family."

"Have I told you how glad I am to call you my brother, Dylan Hunt?" Harper replied with a watery smile.

"As glad as I am you're mine, Seamus Harper," the Maru first officer replied, ruffling Harper's hair.

"Carte blanche?" Rafe asked, his eyes lighting up with something truly deadly. "And will we get the weapons we need to pull this off?"

"If the captain has, in fact, approved this, then he will ensure that we are properly armed," Rhade put in from his position by the door.

Trance frowned, not liking the tone of Rafe's voice, but perhaps this was what he needed to exorcise his demons. Still she would keep an eye on him, and she knew that Beka would help her.

"So when do we leave?" Beka wanted to know.

"Tomorrow. Tyr, for reasons I'm not going to get into, can't know what we're doing. He needs to, for his part, remain ignorant of our actions until it's 'too late'. Let's just say he's already given up a lot for me, and I'm not going to jeopardize his role in his pride any more despite what others might think of me. I protect my family as much as I can, and he's my family too," Harper replied, his chin jutting out in defiance.

"If I had my way it would be just humans going. Hell, I can just see the reactions we get when we bring... Never mind, it's not worth it," the younger man continued bitterly.

"And you humans accuse Nietzscheans of prejudice," Rhade said quietly.

Beka frowned at him, but she couldn't disagree, and Trance... well, Beka wondered if Harper even realized that he'd just excluded her as well.

"There might be one more 'person' coming with us, if I can get her finished in time. I hope I can because I'd really like her muscle along. I have basic information, and God, I hope we can find him in time because it sounds like the Dragans are serious."

Swallowing, Harper looked at the humans in the room. "You gotta know. Earth is like what the Orca slave camps were, only it's the whole fucking planet. Humans are expendable and worthless. The Dragans will look at you as cannon fodder, something to fuck whether you want it or not, something to hunt for sport and to kill because they're bored. Stay low and stay out of their sights; it's the only way to survive. Because if they catch you and they're in a mood, you better pray for death--it's kinder."

"Harper," Dylan said thickly. He remembered too well what he and Beka had rescued their friend from and later what they had rescued Rafe from. To hear Harper tell them so baldly about what the conditions on Earth were like was, well, it was terrifying frankly.

"I wanted you to know so you had the chance to say no, okay?" Harper replied, gruffly. "Tyr doesn't understand what it's like. Not really. He's always been on the other side of the fence, and most Nietzscheans, well, they couldn't care less what the living conditions of humans are. We're just kludges and stuff, but I never, ever want you guys to be on the receiving end.

"It's bad enough I couldn't save Rafe, but, Bek, you and Dylan... I'd rather die than have that happen to you. You've always been free, so you've got no real idea. I just want you to be really sure, okay?" Because regardless of whether or not Dylan, Rafe, Trance and Beka were going, Harper was. He owed it to Brendan.

"I'm in," Rafe told the younger man firmly. "Nothing you can say will talk me out of it. I remember too, Harper, and I'm more than willing to help you make a dent in the Dragan population. Time to get a little of our own back," the older Valentine grinned ferally. "Show 'em that we're even better survivors than they are. After all we've survived them!"

"And if you think that I'm going to let you two idiots go without me to keep you out of trouble, you're nuts!" Beka put in, standing up to hug Harper. "If your cousin is anything like you, I'm going to have my hands full."

Trance looked a million miles away, then focused on all of them, her eyes moving from the humans to Rhade and back again. "You're going to need... me." She hadn't seen clearly and thought that something odd might happen, but she knew that she had to be there, or they would almost certainly all die.

"And after hearing this, I can see why the captain insisted that I go along," Rhade admitted, his anger at hearing his potential as a husband insulted having subsided. "I am the only one who can infiltrate Dragan installations."

"Trance, it's not that I don't want you to go along," Harper said, coming to kneel before his friend, "I just don't want you to get hurt, purpleness. Hell, I don't even want Rhade to get hurt despite the fact that he obviously hates my guts. I just know what enslaved humans think like. They're gonna look at you and be freaked; they're gonna look at him and hate so bad that they'll want to kill. I might have only been a little kid, but I remember," Harper trailed off.

"But I also know that you know things the rest of us don't, so if you say you gotta go, then you gotta go. Just... be safe, okay? I don't want you dyin' on me, not for anything."

Glancing over at Rafe, the young man continued. "You'll take care of her and keep her safe, right?"

Rafe, who had been gleefully planning how many Nietzes he'd kill, sobered immediately. He hadn't considered the ramifications of... "Don't worry, Harper. I'll make sure she's okay. I promise."

Nodding, Harper's glance skittered over Rhade to rest somewhere to the far right of his shoulder. "You need to be careful too. Humans are gonna want to rip you limb from limb just because you're a Nietzschean. Doesn't matter what pride you're from, you're still a bonehead to them, and they're gonna want you dead. I'd rather not have to explain to Tyr why he needs to find a new first officer, thanks all the same."

"Harper," Dylan grinned, "your heart's in the right place, but you really need to work on your people skills, you know that?"

Sighing, Rhade stepped away from the door, coming to a halt in front of Harper. "I do not hate you, Harper. I would think you would know that by now. Then again, I would have thought you would know better than to joke about marriage and procreation by now. I sometimes think you are selectively blind when it comes to my people." He shook his head, amazed that Harper still hadn't grasped how fundamental that was to a Nietzschean's very identity.

Harper ducked his head, not bothering to answer but thinking to himself that he was actually doing damned good when it came to Nietzscheans after a lifetime of hatred. Here he was with a Nietzschean lover that he adored, his lover's kids whom he actually liked and was working in engineering with a whole bunch more of them, living on a ship full of them. But everyone saw things differently, he guessed.

"Yeah, well, I just don't want to see Bek and Dylan get hurt is all, so sorry if I stepped on toes or something, but I need to look out for them first. They were the only family I had for more years than I can count, so I need to look out for them first."

Beka sighed. "Harper, that's sweet, and I appreciate it, but... how would you feel if we tried to interfere between you and Tyr? Hell, you reamed us out for exactly that. I don't know how this is going to work, but we have to figure it out... and it will have nothing to do with whomever Rhade marries. Any more than Tyr's marriage changed things between you two. They're Nietzscheans. They procreate with Nietzschean females. That's who they are."

Surprised by Beka's defense, Rhade turned to look at her, then smiled slowly. "It's a shame you aren't Nietzschean."

She laughed, knowing it for a compliment.

"Whatever, I was just looking out for you. Meeting adjourned and I gotta go," Harper muttered, getting to his feet and hotfooting it out of there. He just couldn't win some days, and he was getting pretty darned tired of trying. Everyone on this ship was friggin' nuts; that was all there was to it.

"Harper, wait!" Dylan called after the younger man, but he was gone in a shot, leaving his own quarters to the others. "And probably heading for a hidey hole no doubt," the Maru's first officer muttered to himself. Harper's heart was in the right spot, and he had meant well, but he probably shouldn't have interfered. Yet Dylan couldn't fault him for wanting to protect his friends. Hell, he still fought the urge to rip Anasazi a new one when he saw the occasional kicked puppy look in Harper's eyes or spotted a new bruise. However, he figured that they had to work it out for themselves.

But Harper, being Harper, always jumped in where angels feared to tread if he thought his family should know something and now... Sighing heavily, Dylan looked back at Beka, Rhade and the others. "I'm going to go talk to him. Alone."

***

Beka defending Nietzscheans and chewing him out, no matter how nice she was about it, Dylan sleeping with a guy, Beka and Dylan sleeping with a Nietzschean, Trance and Rafe looking cozy... maybe he was the one who was goin' nuts--no surprise there.

Heading for his machine shop, Harper breathed a sigh of relief when he locked the door behind him. "I really, really, really hate days like this!"

***

Feeling uncomfortable in the captain's quarters once Harper had left, the others headed back to their rooms almost immediately afterward. Beka and Rhade went to the room she shared with Dylan to wait for him to return, and Trance followed Rafe back to his.

"Are you sure you want to do this, Rafe? You can help without going to Earth, you know. I'm worried about how this will affect you." Trance paced around the room, her tail almost lashing as she darted concerned glances at him.

"Damn straight I do," the older Valentine growled, barely containing his agitation and his need to get to Earth. "And what do you mean how it will affect me? How could giving some of those bastards back what they did to me... I mean to humanity, affect me in any way but positively?"

"I just don't want you to lose yourself in your anger. I happen to like you, Rafe Valentine." Coming to a halt in front of him, Trance cupped his face with one palm and leaned in to kiss him. Not wanting to spook him, her closed lips brushed over his lightly, then she leaned back very slightly, allowing a breath of air between them as she waited for his reaction.

Rafe licked his lips, not sure how to react. Before... well, before he'd have charmed her and taken her up on her offer, but now... God, he hated that he was scared, but the truth was that he'd been made to think of sex as a punishment, and the idea of hurting this wondrous woman who was trying so hard to help him...

Taking a step back, he smiled sadly. "Thank you for caring about me, but I can't do... Well, I may never be able to again. I never got to the pleasure part that Harper had; I just remember the pain," he stated baldly.

"I wasn't offering out of pity," Trance said, advancing a step that put her right back in his personal space. "Nor am I trying to pressure you into something you aren't ready for. But remember, I'm not a Nietzschean, and I would never hurt you. And I do like you, Rafe. So when you're ready..." She shrugged and brushed another kiss over his lips.

Rafe didn't know what to do. She kept getting close, and he wasn't sure if he wanted her to, but she just kept doing it, and then there was the way she touched him and the way she looked at him, as if Trance knew all his secrets and was promising to keep them but... "If I'm ever ready, don't you mean," he replied backing up yet again and feeling the wall brush his shoulder blades.

"If I'd meant that, I would have said it." She followed him again, kissing him once more, this time allowing her lips to part and her tongue to trace his, seeking entrance, although no other parts of their bodies touched.

Groaning almost silently, Rafe began to wonder if a steamroller would have been subtler than the purple menace that was Trance Gemini. Turning his head to the side, Rafe gently extricated himself from the young woman's arms. "I'm sorry but I can't, and unless that crystal ball of yours tells you differently, I'm not sure I'll ever be able to."

Trance sighed softly. "You will when you believe you can... and when you want to." She shrugged slightly. "We're still friends, Rafe, even if you aren't interested in me that way. When you find the right person, you'll be fine. You'll see." She'd hoped it might be her, and while she could exert herself and make him want her, she wouldn't do that to him. Not to mention that she would prefer not to have the Nietzscheans realize what she was capable of.

"Trance," Rafe hesitantly touched the young woman's cheek. "If it could be anyone, it would be you, believe me," he admitted gruffly. "I like you, really like you, and I think you're beautiful, caring and funny, pretty wonderful all around. It's just that... certain things don't work anymore, okay? For anyone."

"Not okay," she retorted, glaring at him. "Rafe Valentine, are you going to let them beat you? Yes, what happened to you was horrible, but you survived. Don't let them take anything else away from you. Sure, there are going to be flashbacks, but you're stronger than that. You can get past it... when you decide you want to rather than saying that you can't."

"Anyone ever tell you you're a pushy little thing?" Rafe asked conversationally, looking down at the mighty mauve termagant who was glaring up at him.

"Often. Usually when I'm telling them truths they don't want to hear."

"Apparently it hasn't stopped you yet because you just keep coming," the human replied, rolling his eyes. "And I thought Beka was a pain in the ass, ha! You take the cake, lady."

"I don't like to see my friends hurting. Especially when there's no reason for it."

"You just like to butt that pert little nose in even when people don't want you to!" Rafe retorted, flicking Trance in the nose. "They used to have a name for you back on Earth. A busybody!"

"No wonder you're not interested if that's what you think." She took a step back and moved away, wandering around his room restlessly. "Well, I should go. You should get as much rest as you can before we leave for Earth. It won't be pleasant."

"Trance," Rafe groaned. "You are the most stubborn, opinionated, frustrating person I know. Even when I'm not the one who's in the wrong, you still make me feel like I should be the one apologizing and wanting to beat my head into the wall," he sighed. "I told you I liked you! I told you if it were any other time in my life, I'd be interested, but you only hear what you want to. Argh!"

Trance cocked her head slightly and smiled. "But you're not moping anymore, are you?" she pointed out smugly.

"I wasn't moping to begin with!" Rafe was ready to tear his hair out. Of all the stubborn, opinionated, pain-in-the-ass women! "You're even worse than Beka, you know that?"

"I really don't want you to think of me as a sister, Rafe," Trance said, again backing him against the wall, this time with her tail curling loosely around his lower leg.

"You never give up, do you?"

"No," she replied cheerfully. "And it's only fair to tell you that I always get what I want." She brushed another kiss over his lips, gave him a sunny smile, and headed for the door.

Staring at the closed door, Rafe bit back the scream of frustration that threatened to erupt. "What a complete pain in my ass!" He snarled. "I wish I could figure out why I seem to be such a glutton for punishment?"

***

Dylan sighed and fought against the urge to bang his head against the nearest bulkhead. He'd combed what areas of the ship he had access to and no Harper. And the AI wasn't telling either. He might look like the Dylan Hunt of old, but the Andromeda only answered to Tyr Anasazi (and Seamus Harper, not that anyone would ever admit that out loud), so all in all, his hunt for his friend had been fruitless.

Entering his quarters, he grabbed the bottle of rotgut whiskey he kept for 'medicinal' purposes and poured himself a tumbler full. Who knew where Rhade and Beka were and what they were doing. Hell, Rhade was probably pissed with him, and he wasn't altogether sure just how he felt right now. Dammit, Harper was only trying to look out for them. Badly maybe, but it was still family looking after family.

Wouldn't Rhade want to cut the balls off of anyone who hurt his family? Harper needed to learn tact, no doubt about that, and he tended to put his foot in his mouth more often than not, but Dylan really couldn't fault him for the sentiment.

Sometimes the first officer of the Eureka Maru wondered where his neat, ordered and perfectly heterosexually sane life had taken such a radical left turn. Before their head on collision with the Andromeda Ascendant his life had made sense, had had purpose. He'd been a freedom fighter, a first officer, Beka's lover, Harper's friend and a member of the tiny and incredibly secret order of the High Guard.

Now... what was he? Swallowing the whiskey in one fiery gulp, Dylan poured himself another with the intent of quietly getting shit-faced drunk.

Before he could take another drink, the door to the inner room opened and Rhade and Beka stepped out, the Nietzschean in skintight leather pants and nothing else, and Beka in an incredibly short blue silk robe that matched her eyes.

"'Bout time you got back here," Beka said, neatly taking his drink and swallowing it herself. "We--all of us--need to talk." Rhade simply watched, leaving it up to Dylan how they would proceed. It was not his preference, but the human woman had convinced him that anything else would only serve to put the other man on the defensive and defeat his purpose.

"Have I ever told you that I really hate it when you say that?" Dylan groused, stealing back his glass and pouring himself another drink. "It's one of those patented Beka Valentine 'I'm gonna kick your ass whether you like it or not' sort of tones of voice, and it never bodes well.

"Oh, and Harper is hiding, and the ship isn't gonna tell me where, so I didn't get to talk to him yet. I'll talk to him later--maybe after he gets laid again; that always seems to mellow him out a bit."

Seeing that Dylan was in full avoidance mode, Rhade sighed and went back into the bedroom to retrieve his shirt before heading for the door. "When--if--you decide to discuss this rationally, I'll be back." He had no idea how the captain survived dealing with a human every day; he was already frustrated.

"What did I do?" Dylan asked, looking from Beka to Rhade and back again. "You mean this wasn't gonna be one of those 'let's try and wrap Dylan around my little finger so I can get away with murder' sort of talks?"

Beka smacked him... hard.

And Rhade hesitated, then turned back, realizing that maybe Dylan hadn't been trying to avoid him. "No," he said, "it was going to be one of the 'let's figure out what the three of us are doing and how this is going to work' kind of talks."

Dylan rubbed his sore arm and blushed. "Well, I thought it was kinda obvious what we were doing; I mean, well, to put it crudely, you had your cock buried in my ass. A great number of times. And Beka was... under me when you were on top of me. I'd say that's a pretty accurate description of what's been going on."

Sighing, Agravaine sank down into a chair, staring moodily at Dylan. "As with marriage, my people take lovers very seriously. Tyr and Harper, though perhaps overly emotional, are typical of that. If we are to continue, I must know that we are working toward something... permanent."

Beka sat silently, leaving this up to the Nietzschean. Her relationship with Dylan did not depend on his with Rhade, but she found that she enjoyed Rhade for himself and hoped the three of them could work something stable out.

"I... God." Dylan ran his fingers through his hair and noticed absently that they were trembling. "It's not that I don't take it seriously, Rhade; it's just that... until you Beka was my penultimate mate, you know? And then we get captured by the Andromeda, and I feel like I've entered a parallel universe, and everything I ever thought about myself has gone right out the window, and I, I don't know who I am anymore."

"Why should adding something new change everything that you already knew and were? Life is change; you could not expect to remain static forever. You are still with Beka, and she and I can deal well together as well. Whatever you and I work out does not affect that."

"That's just such a fucking Nietzschean thing to say," Dylan sighed. "I used to believe I was monogamous. And straight. Now I find I'm neither. I used to know my place in the scheme of things and... and I used to hate Nietzscheans with every fiber of my being. Since the Andromeda, since you, I can't do that anymore, and I feel like a traitor to the cause I was born to be a part of, and yet part of me--a great part of me--doesn't really care anymore. And that scares the shit out of me," Dylan admitted quietly.

"Then tell me to leave. And I will. I can easily transfer to another Kodiak ship, and you would never have to see me again."

"I can't do that."

"So what do we do now?" Rhade wasn't willing to back down, not after the confrontation with Harper.

"How the hell do I know?" Dylan snarled, suddenly standing and pacing the room. "I didn't even realize I was fucking bi until we nearly had our tongues down each other's throats on the basketball court, and even then I was praying it was an aberration. But I kind of had to admit that I was when your fucking cock was reaming out my ass and I was begging for more!"

Even now that first time both haunted and heated him. His cock ached and throbbed in the tight confines of his pants, and he could feel his heart rate speed up and his pupils dilate. Fuck, he was getting aroused just from a fucking memory.

Snarling in frustration, Rhade gave up on words and rose to his feet, grabbing hold of Dylan's arm on his next pass. He wrenched the human against him, mouth unerringly finding his, and he kissed him savagely.

Pushing hard on the Nietzschean's chest, Dylan only managed to send them both sprawling to the floor, him on top. Luckily for him Rhade had thrown his arms wide so he hadn't been impaled on Nietzschean arm spikes. "Damn, didn't expect that to happen," the human said conversationally, looking over his shoulder at Beka, who was stifling her laughter behind a fist stuffed in her mouth.

Looking somewhat startled, Rhade stared back at him. "I didn't really expect you to throw yourself at my feet, you know."

"Only in your dreams, bonehead."

"I should have stuck to fucking. At least that stopped you arguing!" Rhade glared at him, refusing to look at the laughing woman behind them.

"Yeah, but then I wouldn't respect you in the morning," Dylan shot back, almost enjoying the banter and trying to ignore the love of his life and resident nutcase.

"I would!" Beka put in, snickering.

"Perhaps we should stop talking and stick to acting for now. We seem to do better at that."

"I don't think he likes foreplay, Bek," Dylan smirked as he winked over his shoulder. "I mean Valentine and I snap at each other for hours before we can't hold out anymore and decide to fuck like minks. But then we don't have your total lack of humor either," the first officer continued with a bright smile.

Agravaine groaned. "Two of them." Deciding that his previous idea had merit, he tangled his fingers in Dylan's hair and pulled the other man's head down to ravage his mouth.

After giving in for a few brief moments, Dylan resisted and pulled back. "There's a perfectly acceptable bed in the next room. I for one have no desire to end up with rug burn just because you've decided to get your kink on."

"I'm not the one who put us here," Rhade pointed out, rising to his feet. "But I agree that a bed would be more comfortable." He made sure to stand close enough that Dylan rubbed along his body as he stood up in turn, and he remained pressed to the human male's back as they moved toward the bedroom, Beka following them eagerly.

"Actually, you are, you tackled me remember?" Dylan grinned as he turned and fell back onto the bed so that he could look up at his two lovers. "Who'd have thought that Nietzscheans could be so contrary, eh, Bek?"

Stretching one arm above his head and wrapping the other hand around his cock to stroke it idly, Dylan waited to see who would pounce first.

Although Dylan had actually been the one to knock them to the floor when Rhade grabbed and kissed him, the Nietzschean didn't see any benefit in arguing about it. Instead he shed his pants and shirt and moved onto the bed, crawling up the length of Dylan's body, his cock painting a glistening trail of moisture. Once even with Dylan's mouth, he dropped on top of the human, moving in for another kiss.

Watching them, Beka bit back a moan and pulled her robe off, sitting naked amidst the pillows as she let Rhade have the first moment.

Moaning around the tongue that was attempting to reach his tonsils, Dylan's hands came up to scratch their way down Agravaine's spine to his ass. Big, butch Nietz that he was, Dylan had to wonder if anyone had ever topped Rhade or if Rhade had been the one doing all the topping. One way to find out...

Letting a finger slide between the Nietzschean's cheeks, Dylan pressed it gently inside the man on top of him and waited for a reaction.

Rhade stiffened slightly in surprise, dark eyes shutting momentarily as a shudder of lust ran through him, then they opened and met Dylan's as he relaxed again, his full weight pressing the human into the mattress. "Be sure you can handle what you reach for," he purred, nipping sharply at Dylan's throat.

"I think I've been handling you quite fine for the past few weeks, despite some people's opinions," Dylan replied as he added a second finger to the first and continued to stretch his lover out. "Afraid, Agravaine?" he taunted.

Rhade simply chuckled. "Hardly. I'm looking forward to it." He arched upward, taking the fingers deeper while Beka watched. "We're a good fit," he admitted, watching the human hungrily.

"Wouldn't know, haven't fit myself in you yet," Dylan leered. "Of course, we can correct that any time you're ready.

"Bek, feel like getting me ready for him?"

"Talk about your stupid questions," the blonde muttered, shifting closer as she coated her hand with slick lubricant and wrapped it around Dylan's cock. Concentrating on him, she moaned when she felt Agravaine's fingers exploring, making her bite her lip as she tried to remain still.

"Mmm, feels good, lady," Dylan moaned as he thrust his hips up into her hand. Grinning at her gasp, he figured out she was getting teased by the Nietzschean. "Getting a little distracted there, Bek, does that mean I'm ready?"

"Yeah, and so am I!" she moaned.

"Perhaps we ought to adjust the positioning then," Agravaine suggested, smirking. "I have no objection to being in the middle."

"Gee, how big of you," Beka sniped, then moaned. "Fuck, Dylan, do it. I need someone to fuck me."

"Then tell the one on top of me to get the hell off so we can change positions," the first officer of the Maru pointed out a little exasperatedly. "Or have you both forgotten that he's on top of me?"

"Just making sure you were in agreement," Rhade chuckled, rolling off and positioning himself on his side with his back to Dylan.

Beka didn't waste a moment in stretching out in front of him, one leg hooking over both men as she arched into him. "God, fuck me," she moaned, feeling her wetness dripping along her inner thighs.

"With pleasure," Rhade murmured, pressing into her while Dylan positioned himself behind him.

As Rhade slid into Beka, Dylan did the same to the Nietzschean sandwiched between them. Groaning at the bliss of being buried inside the tight body of his alpha lover, he had to chuckle as he bit down on Rhade's shoulder. "Bet you never thought you'd be the filling in a human sandwich, did you?"

Agravaine had to laugh as well. "Stranger things have happened, but I can't imagine what," he managed to gasp, fingers tightening on Beka. His back arched to take Dylan deeper, and he moaned hungrily, unable to do anything. "Move, damnit!"

"Seems to me you're in no position to demand anything," Dylan laughed wickedly. "I'd say we got him between a rock and a soft place, don't you think, Bek? Maybe we should take advantage of it."

"Sounds good to me," Beka purred, tightening her inner muscles around her Nietzschean lover. "I enjoy taking advantage of a good man."

"And I being taken advantage of," Rhade admitted, thrusting as much as he could between them.

Pressing a little farther into the man trapped between them, Dylan stilled all movement and then reached between Beka and Rhade's bodies to worm his way down to his lady's clit. Massaging it gently, he made sure his thumb brushed back and forth across Agravaine's cock, teasing the Nietzschean incessantly. "Do you really? And here I thought you just like to take advantage?" Hunt purred, nipping at the base of Rhade's neck.

"Versatility is the hallmark of a superior intellect," Rhade gasped, fingers gripping Beka's hip tightly enough to bruise, not that she was complaining.

"Pretty and smart. Lucky us," Beka purred an instant before her mouth met Agravaine's in a hungry kiss.

"You can say that again!" With that Dylan pulled back and then slammed into the man beside him with all his strength, driving Rhade into Beka at the same time. "And he's got a great ass too!"

The other two could only moan, bodies matching Dylan's rhythm as he took control. Rhade reached back with one hand, pulling Dylan closer, and he released Beka's mouth to twist his head back, trying to kiss Hunt.

Nipping hard at the Nietzschean's lips, Dylan continued to plow into the hard body. "So fucking tight, God, to think I was positive I was a hundred percent straight. If I'd have known what I was missing..."

Rhade growled at the words, making Beka giggle even so close to coming.

"You sound just like Tyr about Harper."

"I think not!" Dylan snorted. "Compare me to the kid again, woman, and you're not getting any for a week!" Hunt scowled in disbelief. He didn't, however, stop slamming into Agravaine.

Rhade laughed as well, if somewhat breathlessly. "I begin to sympathize with the captain," he panted, body tightening as his climax neared. Beka's spasms as she came were nearly enough to tip him over the edge, and he moaned, back arching.

"Oh, shut up and take it like a man, Rhade," Dylan retorted, nipping at the Neitzschean's earlobe. "But yeah, you should sympathize with the guy; you're just as owned as he is."

Not wanting to argue just then, Rhade simply snorted, then cried out sharply as he came, convulsing between his two lovers.

Dylan bit down on his lip hard enough to draw blood as he continued to thrust into the convulsing channel that sheathed his cock. He was so close he could taste it. Thrusting harder and harder, the human roared as his lover's still pulsating body drove him over the edge, and he filled Rhade with his seed.

They lay in a sweaty, sated heap, and Rhade had never felt more content. He brushed back a strand of pale blond hair and drew Beka close to kiss her, enjoying the sensations of all of them still being linked. "This is going to be a very interesting journey," he murmured.

"It's gonna be a freakin' nightmare," Dylan corrected. "Harper. Without his daily, hell, hourly fix from his lover. All alone in deep space. With us. Death might be preferable."

Beka snickered. "You know he'll use the implant to deal with his cravings. And we'll just hide."

Rhade sighed. "A very long trip indeed. Facing the Dragans single-handedly might be less painful."

"The implant may stop the cravings, but it won't use up the energy," Dylan replied mournfully. "Can we lock him in the engine room? We might have the Maru as good as new by the time we get Earthside."

"We'll let Trance deal with him. She's so perky she'll never notice," Beka sighed.

"Perhaps I'll lock myself in the engine room," Rhade muttered.

"Well, it does have a lot of lubricant stored down there," Dylan offered.

"And what have you been doing in my engine room?" Beka wanted to know, eyeing him narrowly while Rhade chuckled.

"Absolutely nothing, most gorgeous captain in the universe," Dylan sweet talked, cowering behind Rhade. He was more than willing to admit that while Nietzscheans were terrifying, hell had no fury like Beka Valentine on the warpath about her ship. It would strike terror into the hearts of even the Magog.

***

Tyr held Harper tightly for a long moment before forcing himself to release his mate. "Be careful. You wouldn't want to responsible for me destroying Earth because you were harmed, would you?" he rasped.

"Nahh, you wouldn't do that," Harper replied, trying very hard to put on a brave front even though the idea of being so far away from Tyr actually terrified him. "Think of all the ammo you'd have to waste, and that would leave you depleted, and then the Dragans would attack, and it would just snowball from there."

"You think I would care if anything happened to you?" Tyr growled. "But nothing will, so the point is moot." His warning glare at Agravaine warned that nothing had better happen to Harper. "Bring your cousin back safely... and don't take too long," he murmured, drawing him into a hungry kiss.

"Aye aye, Captain!" Harper saluted, hoping that the sheen in his eyes wasn't visible. All he needed was for Rhade to see what a wuss he was being about saying goodbye to Tyr; that would just take the cake.

Tyr smiled painfully, stepping back and watching as Harper disappeared into the Maru with the others, wishing he could go with them. Still, he knew that the humans considered Harper family and would protect him, as would Rhade. Turning, he made himself return to the bridge and his duties.

***

"It won't be long, Harper," Trance said comfortingly, hugging her friend. "And then you can introduce your cousin to Tyr and watch the sparks fly," she teased.

"Sparks? Did I mention that Brendan is one of the heads of the Dragan Resistance? The only good Nietzschean is a dead Nietzschean as far as he's concerned, no offense, Rhade. He's gonna go apeshit on my hide when he realizes I not only live and work with the Alpha of Kodiak Pride but I sleep with him too. I'm expecting to be pounded into dust, quite honestly," Harper replied with a wry grin.

"We will have to teach him that not all Nietzscheans are like the degenerate Dragans," Rhade said calmly. "Surely if we can convince you, Beka and Dylan, we can convince one more."

Beka snickered. "Planning on sleeping with him too?"

Rhade simply looked at her, not deigning to reply, while Trance giggled.

"Oh yeah, I can see that... Not!" Harper snorted in reply. "Brendan would rather kiss a Magog."

Dylan's eyebrow quirked. "Are you saying we have bad taste in lovers, Seamus?"

"No, I'm saying Brendan would rather kiss a Magog. He's expressed the sentiment enough that I remember it well. He considers Nietzschean women black widows and Nietzschean men... well, I won't repeat what he thinks of them in the presence of ladies. I do have some standards, after all."

Beka snorted. "Suuuure you do. But having heard you talk before the advent of Tyr, I can imagine."

"Regardless, I will be with you when you go. I do not intend to tell Tyr that I allowed you to get yourself killed," Agravaine put in. "I would rather kiss a Magog."

"Is there any way to, well, to camouflage those things on your arms? It's kinda obvious you're a Nietzschean with those bone blades flashing all the time. You might up dead real fast down there, and no, I'm not forgetting you're you. I just happen to know what we're gonna be walking into. They'll swarm you and then beat the shit out of you until you die."

Eyebrows rising, Rhade shook his head. "I suppose I could wrap something around them, but that would be rather obvious, not to mention depriving me of a weapon it sounds like I'll need."

"And no offense, Harper, but I kinda prefer the big guy alive. We'll just have to be careful." Beka frowned, seeing Harper's point, but there really wasn't any way to disguise Rhade as anything other than a Nietzschean.

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