Evolution's Essence (5 page)

Renee smiled after touching Oliver’s mind to
realize why he left bed so abruptly and it made her chuckle. She
didn’t like how his too sensitive sniffer burns as if acid was
sprayed up each nostril every time their child made a mess. Male
Solarians and Ligers alike have olfactory sensors that are too
sensitive to a babe’s waste. Females didn’t have such a
problem.

Pulling the covers back Renee look down at
the rapidly growing daughter Isabella and love warmed her naked
breast. She remembered the easy birth not too long ago when Izzy
came out no larger than the palm of a single hand and over the
course of a couple weeks had grown larger than both palms. Renee
noticed the subtle differences as only a fond mother could. Right
now Isabella was softly squeaking her discomfort and Renee checked
the diaper to find it was soiled and the culprit for Oliver’s
abrupt departure. “You sure know how to clear your papa out of a
room eh, Izzy? Lets clean you up and get you fat and happy.” She
climbed out of bed and headed for the bathroom.

Renee wiped her daughter
clean before bathing her in powerful deodorizers safe for a
newborn’s delicate skin so Oliver’s pain is less. During the bath
she looked down and smiled. “Glad my nipple isn’t so small anymore.
Seems like as you grow my nipple goes back to normal. Oh I know…
shhh. You’ll be dry in a moment sweetheart… there!
All
better.” Renee toweled
her child off and placed the ravenous babe to her breast to supply
a mother’s milk. Isabella suckled strongly, little arms kneading
the breast for the sustenance her tiny body needed. Renee willed on
warm clothes and added a wrap, like a cloth diagonally across her
chest, so her daughter could be securely held and feast to her
delight.

Leaving the bathroom, she found she wasn’t
the only feeding mother as all the female Ligers had nursing cubs
of their own for the first time in twenty five thousand years after
her man because their master. The thing was, the cubs would soon be
weaned. Renee had four more months left after reading the journal
left behind by Queen Fru of the Wind.

She walked out of the new bedroom and
straight into the spacious private hangar to find Oliver and the
other three sitting by the secured Flare and the surrounding Sun
Spots. He had apparently thrown on a pair of pants only. Bare feet
and a naked torso exploding with muscle gave her libido a serious
jolt and admiration for such a masculine form. She kind of missed
him knowing right away she was horny and wet at a single sniff, but
he forced himself to be as close to them as possible though his
instinct to be near, but not so close, were at war and it hurt
him.

Pointed ears quirked a little as his head
turned away from petting the furry felines purring up a storm.
Round ears followed as they all noticed her arrival. “I wish you’d
let me numb your smell receptors, Olly.”

“
It’s not too bad.” He lied
and having a mental connection couldn’t hide the truth from her. He
also felt her spiked irritation at the lie. “In an hour I’ll be
back to normal and despite her odor, I need my nose. For me it’s
like going blind is for you.”

“
I could make you go blind
and we’ll see about that.”

“
Then I’ll look through my
Pride’s eyes.” He bantered a quick comeback.

“
Smartass.” Her scowl made
him chuckle and she joined in. He spread his knees and she took the
invitation to sit directly between the thick thighs to feel safe as
his long arms wrapped around her middle. She noticed him peer over
a shoulder and at her well endowed breasts and knew what he sought.
She peeled the wrap back to expose her right bare breast and their
suckling daughter to say “She’s getting stronger every
day.”

“
And her hair is starting to
grow, but why is it blonde?” his spoke as soft as he was able, but
the baritone was unable to do so completely. Renee felt the
vibrations of his voice resonate through her and she loved
it.

“
It’s natural. It’ll darken
to auburn soon enough. Seems our baby isn’t too different from
humans in this regard. Olly?”

“
Hmmm?” he hummed, dropping
a chin on her shoulder.

“
Forewarning you, Isabella
has changed me. As soon as we tie up the loose ends with Chandler
and you get the final piece, I’m going to drop a littler of
hellions. I love being a mother. I think I’ll drop about six or
eight eggs.”

“
You’re trying to really
kill me aren’t you?” he chuckled. “Sure, why not. It’ll just permit
me to make more love.”

“
Well there is that, but
really I want to make sure our line doesn’t die out. Since you
can’t give me a son, he can’t screw around sewing his oats with
every willing woman wanting strong children. Our daughters could
drop a lot, but we need options because once I feel our hellions
are safe from extinction I won’t be having many.”

This was a surprise. “Why is that?”

“
Why did Reten have only
four thousand with Mantiv and they were together for
millions
of years?” she
countered.

His mind followed that train of thought. “The
danger of too much power unable to be held in check.” He leaned
back at the realization. “Our daughters will be unmatched except by
us. Humans won’t stand a chance if we don’t raise them right.
They’ll be too strong and if they ever decided to raise an army
they could birth babies by the hundreds every three months. In a
century even Isabella could birth a million plus children. Even if
they will be half human since they can’t mate with a male since I’m
the last.”

“
Precisely. Responsibility
lies with us. We need to be careful our children don’t become
tyrants since it is just us. We’ll be doing a lot of attitude
adjustments and reddening a lot of ass cheeks. We need to find a
balance, but we can’t have too many children because too much can
go wrong.”

“
Agreed.”

They sat there quietly for a time, staring
out the seemingly unblocked view of space and part of the planet of
ice. Photons made a barrier to keep atmosphere in and space
out.

Eventually a nearby elevator opened and out
came Jake Dorgen followed by Breena, Stone, Satellite, Steven and
Visor. The pirate king said “Morning, Lads. Up early I see.”

“
Izzy’s ass woke us, Papa.”
Renee grunted as her stiff legs gathered to help her
stand.

“
She’s not as bad as ye
were. That is beyond question.”

“
Papa!” Renee stomped her
foot, cheeks reddening.

The overlarge Scotsman wrapped his child and
grandchild in a paternal hug and kissed the top of Renee’s head.
“I’m glad ye are up.”

“
Why?” she asked after
finding Oliver still with his back turned. With Isabella in a room
with adults, his instincts were to keep everyone except the mother
away by painful means. “It’s okay, Idiot.” He relaxed and turned
back to find everyone a respectable distance away.

Calmly Jake stroked his long braided beard.
“Just got word from Jessica that our long range scans on the fire
planet next on the list just got preliminary life signs and report
the fourth largest Keptl hive on record growing on the volcanic
surface. And worse is millions of X Rank beasts making a home
there.”

“
You can’t be
serious.”

“
Aye, Lass. We can’t go
there to the floating geode without being noticed by Keptl who
clearly are evolving on a volcanic planet so ye can be assured they
will be tougher than average.”

“
One fucking problem after
another!” she threw her hands up in defeat.

“
What else are you
neglecting to tell us?” Oliver’s gut was telling him the captain
withheld a worsening piece of information.

“
Perceptive. Seems the hive
is readying to move or start another fight. Currently there are
eighty nine Goliaths filling up on the overrun planet.”

Not eight seconds after that
revelation there was a blinding flash in the docking bay and a
familiar friend arrived. Golden armor covered a bluish grey body
that was rather thin. Three long fingers and a thumb all had curved
fingernails shaped and sharpened into claws. Held on the left arm
denoting rank of the Zeelin warrior was a shield. The highest rank
being Beyleez. Glowing eyes smoked much like Oliver’s and
Renee’s.
“Forgive the
intrusion.”

“
Netul? What is happening?”
Oliver asked, clothing himself and willing on boots.

“
I am here on behalf of the
Archivers’ of Jaffablin, My Friend.”
Netul
grasped the forearm of Oliver’s as it was outstretched.
“For saving our home, we will save yours and
presumably other worlds before the Goliaths start another invasion.
We’ve been lax and haven’t watched over the five worlds in this
galaxy as we should have. For a hive so large to have made a home
where it ought not stains our honor. Do not leave for the world for
five months. Our forces are already mobilizing and we do not wish
you to get caught in the crossfire. This battle will be fierce and
glorious.”

“
Then why are you here in
person? You could have contacted me through an
Observer.”

Netul stepped back and
nodded.
“Because this human you call
Chandler is
accelerating
the growth of the clones. We’ve been watching him
ever since the battle yesterday and confirmed the core’s findings.
Our observers have gotten close enough to peer inside windows so we
know this to be truth. He knows he is in danger and is preparing
for an offensive move. I’m authorized to assist you and the human
Hunters if in event the abominations reach maturity and be
incapable of resisting them. Part of it is transportation in a
timely manner and offering you any resources you
require.”

“
Lad, now I know ye are
hiding something from me too. Creelin don’t offer full access and
aid to anybody. And I
mean
anybody.”

Without turning to the captain he shrugged.
“Renee and I saved his colony world Jaffablin last week from a
Keptl invasion. Netul, you said ‘my home’ does that mean Mantiv was
of fire?”

“
No. Though not by choice.
He preferred Fire, but Reten was the Flame of Adunn and was firmly
a Terra warrior. You are drawn to it naturally because you are not
him. So do I have your word you will remain here while our golden
armadas remove the filth?”

“
Captain? Your call.” Oliver
looked and found the dangerous vein in Jake’s forehead
pulsing.

He was controlled enough to say “We’ll have a
chat about putting me daughter and grandchild in harm’s way later,
Lad.” Sparky’s long green neck came out of his room, four wings
tucked along his side and clawed arms walked over. Rose followed.
“Beyleez Netul right?” the Creelin inclined his large sloped head.
“If ye can let us continue discovering about Solarians we’ll remain
here as long as yer fleet doesn’t harm the city.”

“
We could not harm it even
if we tried. Those of Fire had the greatest weapons and defenses
and this city in particular was a younger creation compared to
other castles and had the latest technology to keep their
inventions safe. It is why the Keptl dare not near it. When we
attack, it shall be safe. If it were set to destroy the filth, it
alone could do so whereas we need our armada.”

“
Thank ye. I’ll extend some
trust since me daughter told me about prison and how ye are a good
guy.”

“
So what next?” Breena asked
after a long pause.

“
If Chandler is readying his
forces, we can’t waste too much time.” Renee asserted herself.
“Since he has teleport capability I think we should bring Davan
Took. This is his area and the Emperor will want that ability
thoroughly intact and having him will be an aid. You’ve said so
yourself, Papa, that his research was stolen. I’d bet half your
treasury Chandler was the mastermind behind that conspiracy too
since no human has achieved instantaneous travel through
hyperspace. Tell me I’m wrong.”

“
That would be a safe bet.”
Jake agreed, stroking the beard again.

“
Netul, could I ask you
teleport us, the Hunters, two humans, the Prides, our Gravity
Forge
and
the new
fighter and our own personal fighters straight to
Zerika?”

Netul closed his eyes and
after a few moments nodded. Approval of that magnitude was beyond
his standing orders and required a superior’s authorization. An
Archiver’s pinnacle rank.
“Permission is
approved for that request. It will not advance humans in any
forbidden way.”

“
One more thing before we
get ahead of ourselves. Netul, the teleportation the dreadnought
utilizes, if I throw out a jamming field like the Goliaths did,
will it disrupt yours in event of an emergency?” Oliver asked. “I
need to know because if we get hit by something new and you need to
get away, I don’t wish to prevent such.”

“
The stolen technology this
Chandler has procured is rudimentary to ours at best. They use a
single frequency that is easily disabled within an isolated area.
You’ve gotten the concept already though I am not an expert in this
field. That creation you are mentally making will not interfere
with our form of instant travel.”
Creelin
may sound stuffy and overly courteous, but they were powerful
allies who’s entire culture revolved around honor. Their high
standards aside, battling shoulder to shoulder will make them
friends forever.