Chapter 3

Vishi was moaning as she climbed dimly upward from the fog of unconsciousness. Her eyes came open to a strange cabin, the design and decor austere, spartan in statement. She was still naked, but tucked snugly under the covers of a bed, mammoth by Earth standards. She was still cramping, but the pain was abating somewhat. She quickly surveyed her new domain, everything, furniture, fixtures, bathroom thirty percent larger than anything she had encountered on Earth or aboard the Regis.

"I hope you are feeling better. You spent a restless night," came the familiar bass voice from the bathroom. Raynoor walked into the cabin proper and stood looking at the Earth woman, lovely even with her hair in disarray.

Vishi pulled the covers tightly to her, wincing with the pain of the sexual hangover.

"I don't know whether to thank you or try to kill you," she said.

"Understandable. What I did to you was despicable by Earth standards."

She looked into his large black orbs and cocked her head.

"Yes," he continued, "I've studied the Alliance and Earth... and, no, not just from a military standpoint. I am basically familiar with your societal structures, your religions, your philosophies, your political organizations and operation. I am not a beast, whatever you may think at the moment. Not all of us are raised with a military mindset."

"Then why..."

"Why rape you? Because it was actually the only way to save you. The Admiral had invoked Arqunoon Ishtai, that is the rite of..."

"I get the idea," interrupted Vishi.

"Yes. Well, having ravished your two crew mates, the Admiral would have taken you as well. By invoking Arqunoon Ishtai myself I..."

"... got to take me instead," she finished for him.

"I had no choice. Once Arqunoon Ishtai is invoked, the rite must be followed through. If I had not taken you, I would have lost face with the Admiral and crew."

"And we wouldn't want the son of the Czar to be embarrassed now, would we?" Vishi fired back.

"I make no apologies. Just understand, if I had not taken you, not only would I have been disgraced, but the Admiral would then have taken you himself and you would now be pleasuring the entire crew, like the other two."

"How are they?" she asked, realizing that the situation yesterday had perhaps been more complicated than she thought.

"They have been seen to by the Rallni (UT - Medics). Their injuries are healed, but they have been given to the crew as a reward."

"My God, can't you do something?"

"Patience, Vishi Andarus. I had to invoke royal privilege to keep you here with me instead of..."

She closed her eyes, the horror of seeing Anserk and Meena violated playing again and again in her mind.

"But they aren't just crew mates, they're my friends."

"Hmmmmmm, yes, this Earth thing of bonding other than for recreation or mating is an interesting phenomenon."

"Please," she asked, lowering her head.

" I will see what I can do, but understand, that will be little until we reach a space station or home port. They have already begun servicing the crew and to interfere now, would only weaken my position and thereby my ability to help."

"But you're the son of the Czar."

"True, but I am also an officer in the Imperial Grok Battle Fleet and, as such, I must follow military orders and tradition. There are certain favors I can expect as son of the Czar and certain military regulations and traditions with which I cannot interfere."

Vishi looked at him curiously.

"Why are you doing this? " she asked.

"I am aware of the reputation my people have throughout the seven galaxies. We have a thousand year tradition of war and conquest. Most on my home world still subscribe to that tradition. But there are a few, myself included, who believe it is time for the Grok to change. Yes, we have conquered all who have opposed us and if the war continues, we will conquer the Alliance as well. But these wars of conquest drain us. We are spread thinly across the seven galaxies. It becomes harder to maintain our existing empire and with new conquests being continually added, the burden grows heavier. Our military budget drains our treasury and each new generation of young men and women. Our culture has grown stagnant, our arts, music, literature, our society as a whole has and continues to decline, for we can spare no time, no talent for their development. Our society has become monothematic. While other cultures evolve and grow, ours remains stagnant, focused on only one thing -- conquest. We now control four of the seven galaxies and have made significant conquests in each of the others, but the Grok are uniformly hated by every civilized species in the known universe."

"But we heard the Grok had just signed a treaty with the Ravic."

"Yes, another reason I was assigned to this mission. I will represent my family at the ceremonies on the Ravic home planet. But, despite our numerous treaties, we harbor no illusions as to whose loyalty we can rely upon. The Ravic will turn on us in a galactic minute if they think it is to their advantage and the truth is, we will do the same. These treaties are more temporary truces of convenience, than true treaties."

"Why are you telling me this?" asked Vishi still clutching the covers to her.