Brought the Stars to You (7 page)

Gazing back at the jungle, she took in a deep breath, "What
did it smell like there?"

"Oh, how to describe it?" Smiling, he shut his eyes,
"There were so many different smells. Strong fragrances of
various fruits and flowers, so many exotic scents that were
incomparable. The occasional pungent aroma of decaying plant matter.
I... I should've commissioned the captain to return some flowers
too," he frowned, disappointed with his lack of forethought.

"Don't worry about what you think you should've done. Just
about what you will in the future. This is perfect. I couldn't have
even imagined a place so beautiful."

His disappointment was washed away by her comforting words, his
arm about her waist squeezing her a little more closely in a warm
embrace. "There are others too," he said, leaning over and
activating the device so that the jungle shimmered and changed to a
vista of a massive, metropolitan city that stretched on endlessly.

Behind them was a towering colossus of a fortress, the statues
fantastically large and looming above them, in the distance hovering
vehicles zipped by through the air all over, shuttles landing from
orbit. "This isn't the natural beauty of Mulroon... but perhaps
you'd like it, Ardanna."

Her eyes were alight with wonder as she glanced around every which
way, trying to take it all in as it shivered to life, her breath
taken away for a moment, "Where is this?"

"This is Calusula. Where I did my earliest training."
Stopping his gaze at the massive building behind them, he said, "That
is the Fiato Fortress. Welcome to the capital of the Union, Ardanna."

She laughed and threw herself against him. Tears sprung to her
eyes, but she blinked them away quickly, her arms wrapping around his
neck as she buried her face in his chest. She wasn't quite sobbing
but she was having more trouble breathing than usual. It was too
much. His affection, his love, his life was all so overwhelming and
the emotions he had stirred in her were bursting forth.

Seeing her exuberant reaction his mouth fell open in joy until he
noted that tearful glassiness. He clung to her tightly, stroking both
hands along her bare back. "I will find a way to show you these
things for real sometime, I think. To let you experience them
yourself. The sights... sounds... smells... feel, all of it,
Ardanna."

She shook her head lightly, working to steady her breathing before
pulling away, giving him a smile, "This is fine, Kieren. All of
it," she looked towards the building of his youth once more,
taking a deep breath in, "It's perfect."

He had seen so much, but been restricted from feeling as he liked;
she had been kept here all her life, but free to think and feel to
her own way. "Even though they wouldn't let you keep anything
I'd give you, these images can stay in your mind. As I've clung to
them in my own."

"I know," she said lightly, her breath on his neck, "I
wish we could go. Just take off and explore," she laughed
lightly, shaking her head, "But this is the next best thing."
She knew he'd one day have to leave her too, and each night she
wondered when it would be that she'd no longer see his affectionate,
smiling face. It nearly broke her heart to think of, so she tried not
to. Just live in the present, when his firm arms were around her
body.

His look to her was a mix of pleasant thankfulness and some
sadness, the former winning out as usual. With a slow, shallow nod he
responded, "It is. Though," he gave a weak laugh, "it
makes me wish I had seen and experienced more of what the galaxy and
each of its rest-stops had to offer so I could tell you of them.
Curse the order for giving me so little opportunity to experience
such things on your behalf."

She gave him a soft, sad look, her hand rising to his cheek,
"Don't be like that. They might be misguided, but they're your
family," she said with such soft, tenderness. "They weren't
trying to hurt you, just teach you what they thought was best,"
she curled her arms around his back, stroking along his spine. "And
you're here with me now, telling me about them. That's good enough."

His smile bloomed more with her affectionate touches, her
tenderness. He was such putty in her skilful hands, "I shouldn't
be bitter, you're right on that, Ardanna." He spoke to her in
such loving tones, "But for once you are wrong about something."
He looked down, the pleasant expression never fading from his face,
"They are not my family. They'd object to being called so. In
fact, they are the ones who took me from my family."

He smiled to her and glanced back at the holographic vista,
avoiding the fortress itself.

"I see. Well, we have that in common," her hands reached
towards his shoulders, "But we make do with what we have offered
to us, right?"

His head bobbed, the notion that they shared something more in
common buoyed his spirit despite it being an unpleasant thing.
Reaching a hand up to stroke over her arm towards her wrist, he
tilted his head and brushed his lips against her knuckles, "I
don't ever want these times together to end, Ardanna."

Her eyes fell a bit and when she was finally able to meet him
again, her face was sad, "They'll have to, though." It
truly hurt her to have to introduce reality into the situation,
"Eventually. And they'll never let me go from here. I'm too
valuable to them," she took in a deep breath, "But they can
never take what we've shared here, and never destroy our memories."

His composure wavered then, his eyes watering. He refused to let
it take hold, however, calling upon his training--however
bitterly--to expel the hate and look to her for the pleasantness he
desired. Forcing a nod he said, "I'm sorry for bringing it up,
Ardanna. I don't know how long I will be able to stay, but... I will
remain as long as I am able. I promise you that."

Bringing her lips to his cheek, she kissed him softly, "I
know," she whispered to his ear, his body trembled against hers
at the press of her flesh against his. "And until then, we'll
make the best memories we can. It's all been worth it."

"If I lost everything tomorrow, it would be worth it for
tonight, and all the nights before we've had together, Ardanna.
Truly. Nothing in my life has compared to the joy you've brought me."

She smiled, feeling full with affection and sorrow. She was a
slave, and the money filtered from him to the club. She had no
financial reason to mourn losing his company but for the fact that
he'd been so affectionate, so kind hearted and loving to her, so
respectful. She felt genuine affection in return, unspoiled by money.

"Did you have more images?" she stroked along his spine
lightly.

Nodding to her, he smiled happily, quite clearly meaning all that
he said for this woman, truly the first love of his life. "Many
more," he said airily. "I couldn't take you to the stars,
Ardanna, so I brought them to you."

Moving against him, she was enthralled, enchanted as she nodded,
licking her lips, "I want to see them all."

The evening went on until dawn, no heed paid to the obligations of
the
Fiato
. He wouldn't allow such crass reality to intrude upon what
could be one of the few special nights in his whole life with the
woman who awoke his heart. Instead, the pair laughed and smiled and
went through the repository, recounting the many tales he had to tell
of his adventures until the earliest break of dawn.

The day for the dancers began much as usual, the common change
room a bustle with them all moving from their stations and mirrors to
their personal lockers, the occasional disagreement. But when the
club's manager, a stern looking inhuman of light blue and with horns
extending upwards, plus two more that extended out of his neck
downwards, the mood changed and went tense.

Rarely did he visit the dancers directly, and when he did it was
never for any good reason as far as they were concerned. He examined
the women, a bulbous headed guard at his side as the manager,
Kro'gier, searched for someone--or something-- in particular.

Ardanna kept her head down and her face straight ahead into her
locker, flicking through her selection of outfits with a frown. He'd
seen all of these. She turned as if to ask another dancer a question
before her lips slapped shut at the sight of the manager, her body
visibly shrinking into itself as she spun back to her locker.

She wasn't dressed yet. She should be ready by now, she told
herself, hoping not to get scolded. Kieren was spending good cash
here. She shouldn't keep him waiting. She shut her eyes, selecting
the navy blue and gold outfit in a hurry.

Arms clasped behind his back, Kro'gier nodded towards Ardanna.
Unfurling his hands to point at her specifically for the body guard's
attention. Tromping over to her, the big headed guard brushed one of
his three-fingered hands against her arm and then gestured towards
the manager, who was already leaving the room. Her eyes widened,
looking up at him with confusion. "Wh--" she was cut off by
an odd grunting noise that indicated his impatience.

No dancer met her eyes as she was guided out, outfit still in
hand, her body sheathed only in a slim fitting, pale yellow nightgown
that ended just below her ample bottom. Her feet were still bare.

The guard led her back through the maze of service hallways, where
dancers and other staff traversed the club out of view of the
clientele. Finally he brought her to a room she had never been
before, opened it up and gestured her inside.

It was large and only lightly decorated, though it had an air of
high quality, with a lavish blue sickle sofa sat in one corner, a
mini dance floor with pole in the opposing one, and a private bar
along a wall. The manager stood at one end of the bar, tall and stiff
as usual, watching and waiting for her.

She offered him a dainty curtsey, speaking to the floor, "Sir?"
Her voice was light and airy, but tinged with worry that perhaps she
had done something wrong, or that something bad was destined to
happen. Besides, Kieren was supposed to meet her soon; she didn't
want to keep him waiting.

The manager stalked forward a few steps, eying her up with a
scrutinizing gaze, head tilting as he started to encircle her. He
didn't say anything for a long time before finally he cut in with his
droning, formal voice, "You've become quite the little earner.
Top grossing dancer for us in the whole club now."

Her face was relaxed into the look of practiced calm, "There
is a particular gentleman that enjoys my company, Sir. He's expected
again tonight. Is that why I'm here?"

"I see," he intoned, as if he was somehow disappointed
in her explanation. Reaching out he carefully lifted her gown off her
shoulder an inch or so before letting it go, "You're intact
still, I trust. Our records show that you should be. And don't bother
lying, it would be found out quite quickly."

"Of course, Sir," and her voice was low, even though she
spoke truthfully. Her mind went back to the time with Kieren, to how
much she'd desired him. How close she had been to losing everything
she had for him and her face heated.

"Good," he said, the droning voice of his making even
his pleased tone sound somehow disappointed.

"Your usual client will have to wait. Tonight the club is
getting a very," he stressed that word, giving her a dark gaze,
"important client. An Admiral with the Union fleet, in fact. And
much more than that, a big connection for the Undermarket here on
this world. Pleasing him will be good for not only the club, but our
owner's operations throughout not just the planet, but the whole of
this sector of Union space." He stared at her a while, as if he
had just wasted his time explaining something complicated to a
dullard who didn't grasp it. "Do you understand the significance
of that?"

"Sir, will you let my regular client know that I'll be unable
to entertain him?" she paused a heartbeat. "I'd hate for
him to think that I've lost interest, and for him to leave the planet
because of it, after all. He may not be so important, but he does
regularly pay. I understand my duty and will perform well, Sir. Of
course."

"How reassuring it is to see you so concerned with the club's
business. Don't worry, we shall send another dancer to him to inform
him of your preoccupation, and to keep him entertained in your
place." She knew, instinctively, that Kieren wouldn't want
another dancer. They shared something, and there was no need for
jealousy, even though her heart quickened with the thought.

His stare was hard, "In the meantime, concern yourself only
with keeping this guest pleased. He shall arrive before too long, I
imagine, and he expects top notch entertainment. That means you see
to everything he wants. Without exception. Without reluctance. You're
our ambassador to this powerful man, so see to it he finds everything
he desires in you. Am I understood?" he asked tersely, after a
brief pause.

She shook her worries of Kieren free from her head, "Of
course, Sir. I've been adequately trained by your Mistresses. Is
there anything I should know about his proclivities?"

The stony man looked away, beginning to walk around her towards
the door, "Nothing that won't be obvious to you once you have to
deal with him. Just remember, this sort of deal is the moment we have
invested so much in you for. So don't mess it up," he opened the
door and looked back to her, "If you need anything to prepare,
Briff outside can go get it for you. You're not to leave this room
until the client is done with you."

Her eyes closed as she focussed on steadying herself, even though
her body flushed, her heart thudded deep in her chest as she worked
to control her mind and body in preparation. A Union Admiral.

She took another breath, feeling her body relax. Just be pleasant.
Attentive. You know all of this.