EG 3 Ch 31 (Patreon)

"Captain Rayden Valcrest." I held out a hand.

Gretchen grabbed it daintily, with a sudden girlish smile, only for Lily to growl and puff herself up.

"Of course," Mal said, and shifted around to put me between her and Lily while Gretchen continued to hold my hand, rubbing her thumb over my knuckles. "I hope you can't blame us for some curiosity. Though if you possess the Dragon of the Void in your crew, you must be quite the captain indeed."

"I had nothing to do with the acquisition. My role on his ship is largely as an observer," Minnie said.

"Would you intercede if he were in danger?" Mal asked, and the look that Lily shot her made it perfectly clear there was a correct answer.

"I would, though it's unlikely that my assistance would be needed. He is void-touched and incredibly lucky," she said smoothly.

"Luck is a peculiar skill to laud. I suppose for a human that could be his best attribute." Mal pursed her lips.

"You should maintain your disinterest," Lily stated. "It would be unfortunate if you became too interested."

"Dear sister, I think she's threatening us. Like a young mutt, unaware of what she growls at," Gretchen said, immediately dismissive of Lily while keeping hold of my hand and running hers over it repeatedly.

Asteria arrived at that moment, glass in hand and a broad smile on her face. "I see you're all getting along swimmingly." Each word was like there was laughter on the very edge of it.

"Please inform us why we are here." Gretchen demanded and sniffed at me with obvious delight.

"Where would the fun in that be?" Asteria sipped and grinned.

"We are not here for fun. We have a cause, and one that you have promised to support." Gretchen growled, pulling me closer.

What the fuck was I a treat for these bloodsuckers?

Lily looked about ready to pounce.

The elder of the three sanguafae waved a hand. "I have, and I have brought you a golden opportunity. The captain here has managed to acquire a minorly damaged Kikai battleship. And I found myself thinking, who do I know that might like to purchase it? Of course, you two being amongst my favorites were top of the list."

"Because we have the money and means. That and we could heed your call in a few days," Mal spat. She apparently didn’t like being called on.

"I could always look further afield. I will admit, part of your appeal was your proximity," Asteria said.

Both of the sanguafae, while appearing to be somewhat interested in negotiating, were having trouble not having the stronger position.

"And you've guaranteed the goods?" Mal asked.

"Completely. It is in quite good condition, all considered." She answered.

Both of the sanguafae that had arrived then glanced toward me. "And it is this human's?"

"Yes," Asteria said, and one of them looked me in the eyes.

"Sell it for a night with me," Gretchen purred and reclaimed my arm, her eyes bore into mine and there was that pupil thing again.

I glanced over at Asteria. "Am I supposed to humor them?" Clearly, they like Asteria had tried to control me in some way.

When the command didn't work, Asteria threw her head back in laughter.

"He is not a human," Gretchen said.

"Oh, but he is," Asteria promised.

They looked at me with hard expressions. "Are you a member of the Imperial family?"

"Not that I'm aware of," I said. And Asteria was getting an absolute kick out of the situation. Though for that to be their first question, I was also reminded that Asteria had fed me, apparently, royalty-only food. I wondered if she, like them, had been fishing for my identity with that too. Time with people like this was always a headache and a half.

"Is this it?" I asked Asteria. "Gotten your amusement, and we can finish the deal?"

"It's fine. They're a little rebellious, but I can ensure that if you make a trade with them, they will follow through." The ancient sanguafae waved her hand.

I held back a groan before planting a smile on my face. "Well, if tonight's challenge is negotiating with two beautiful women, then I suppose I lead an absolutely troubling life."

I shook my head, and they both laughed.

"At least he's not boring," Mal said with a sultry smile over her drink. “Though I’d have really liked that to have worked, simply because he smells fantastic.”

"Small mercies. Maybe then we should just have a taste of his strange vintage," Gretchen said, and was suddenly behind me, her lips on my neck and her fangs a moment from sinking in. "It'll be a beautiful bliss," she promised. Yet it was also apparent that she was asking for permission in her own way.

Before she could make a move, Lily grabbed her by the scruff of her neck. "You will not harm my captain," she growled.

The sanguafae in her grip had a grin that slowly faded to horror. She shuddered, and black veins danced across the side of her neck. She threw herself as far away from Lily as she could get, suddenly plastering herself against a far wall, gasping, holding onto where Lily had touched her and staring at the helivore with an expression of pure horror.

Asteria clapped like a little girl and bounced on the balls of her feet. "There it is. What I was waiting to see. Dears, I do hope you'll pay Lily here a touch more respect," Asteria said, and both of the sanguafae turned to her with a scowl.

"What have you brought us to?" Gretchen stared at Lily, though the black veins were receding she stood like a wild animal ready to fight.

"An opportunity, like I told you." The oldest sanguafae let out a happy sigh. "And of course, some entertainment for myself. You do have to admit, this is a good show."

"Crazy bitch," Gretchen muttered, and held her hands around her throat as if it would offer any more protection from Lily's next attack.

But Lily seemed perfectly content to stand still, staring down at both sanguafae pirates. "You will keep your fangs out of my captain," Lily demanded.

Gretchen quickly nodded her head. "I understand the offense that we've made, and will commit to not repeating it. Is that suitable?" She seemed genuinely to be asking Lily's opinion.

"If you keep your word." Lily answered.

"Don't mind her," Mal said, smiling at Lily and taking the advantage of being the one who didn't try to bite me and have some sort of biological weapon course through her body. "Truth is, your captain actually smells quite delicious. A word of warning: you shouldn't bring him around any young ladies, or they might take a nibble out of sheer curiosity. I know I'm half tempted myself even after what just happened."

Lily scowled, and the sanguafae laughed.

"A temptation and acting out are two different things. At my age, restraint is as natural as breathing."

Lily relaxed, but only a touch.

"So, what is it you wanted for the battleship?" Gretchen asked, rejoining the circle, though pointedly staying outside of Lily's reach.

The question was directed at Lily, but she took a step back, physically giving me the floor.

"We're looking for more information on Kikai military installations," I said softly. Much of the room had been staring at us, and now that we were getting down to business, I would prefer not to have all the details broadcast.

"What for?" Mal asked, and then held her hands up before Lily spun on her, working to try to appease the helivore. "So that we might be able to offer something that aligns with your captain's desires."

Lily calmed and let me lead.

"Well, there's no reason to beat around the bush. The Unity and my crew don't see eye to eye, and we've picked a fight." I answered.

"Oh." Mal let out a heavy breath. "Oh, thank God. I thought it was going to be something more worrisome. A fight with the Unity we can certainly be of significant help supporting. We might even be bedfellows," she winked at me.

"Your actions so far aren't exactly the most reassuring," I pointed out, and the two sanguafae glanced at each other and then back at me.

"You don't know who we are, do you?" They asked.

"Can't say I do." I scratched at my cheek.

Gretchen stepped back and took a bow. "Captain Gretchen Notsfar." She did a low bow that displayed her cleavage very well. "And currently fifth on the Federation's most wanted list," she said, as if it was a gold medal. "I command a fleet of approximately forty ships, and am very capable of taking a fight to the Unity myself. Though I have no reason to," she said the last with a shrug, and turned to Mal.

"Mal Foulessdupe." She also bowed low. It seemed all sanguafae were temptation incarnate.

"Also on the most wanted list?" I asked.

She grinned. "Number three. I command a fleet of over sixty, including a fair few well-placed assets within Kikai territory. I dare say, compared to my competition, I would be far better able to assist you," she said.

And suddenly I realized that while they were both here to buy, they weren't working together. I suppose in retrospect it made sense. The battleship would only go to one of them, and they were in fact, from the get-go, competing with each other and for my attention. Just another sprinkle of conflict for Asteria’s amusement it seemed.

"I see," I said as the realization took hold that they were the top of the largest organization in the galaxy’s most wanted. They were very serious threats. "Well, I suppose we should talk about what you're able to provide. Both intelligence and assets."

They looked at each other and grinned, the spark of competition between them palpable now that I knew they were both here to bid.

"And if it is enticing at all, I have a second ship, a cruiser, for sale as well. That one is completely operable besides a few scratches," I added.

"A military one?" Mal asked, and I nodded.

There was a look between the two of them before Gretchen nodded. "We'll both buy one," she said.

And I knew by doing that, they were dialing down their own competition. Thankfully, it seemed I wasn't the only one who noticed.

"That's not fair," Asteria cut in.

"It's very fair," Mal said, "unless of course the captain here would like to protest."

I smiled at both of them and then turned to Asteria. "I appreciate the help, truly I do. But I am interested in making this deal, and quickly. So I don't mind making the negotiations a smidge easier for them." I squinted. "As long as they understand that this is all done in the light of day."

Both of the sanguafae let out hearty laughs.

"See, Asteria? The captain is reasonable." Mal pouted and used me as a shield toward the older sanguafae while managing to sniff at my neck.

I expected Asteria to seem somewhat disappointed, but the smirk still remained firmly planted on her face. "You already have Lily, Violet, and Minnie. Yet you're going to take two more of mine? I fear what would happen if you went to a sanguafae world."

Mal grinned and turned to me. "Sanguafae worlds are beautiful. Trust me they would treat you like a fucking king. Though, if you want a little nip, just come find me." She winked and dodged away as Lily looked ready to defend me again.

And through all of this, Violet seemed to be on the back foot, unsure exactly what to do in the present situation. So, to help her out, I hooked my arm in hers. "Thank you all, but I have plenty of female attention. If we could return this to business."

"When's the last time you've been turned down?" Gretchen teased Mal.

She shook her head. "A very long time ago. He's definitely got something special in him."

"Agreed," Gretchen said licking her fangs. "Very special."

Mal smiled at Lily. "Good job on finding him first, and not letting some bitter bitch like Asteria get her fangs in first."

"Thank you," Lily said slowly, put off by the compliment, but taking my other side now that Violet occupied one.

"Now then, all that is next is for us to actually sort out the details. And while Asteria's station is the thing of legends when it comes to cutting deals, I'd much prefer a more private room," Mal asked the older sanguafae, who acquiesced with a quick nod.

"There's a room behind the ballroom. I think you'll find it suitable." She gestured with her drink. "And neither of you are exceptions to any of the rules," Asteria reminded them. "Behave yourselves."

“Great, follow me.” I stepped ahead of everyone else, ready to get on with this.

They both giggled like schoolgirls and grabbed an arm each to pull me back in the direction Asteria had indicated. "Come on, let's go have fun."

They pulled me along, and I looked weakly back at Lily, who was already storming after the three of us.

“So, what do you want to know?” Gretchen giggled.

“Do you know anything about Project Tomorrow?” It had seemed to be the big ticket item before and I was grasping for straws. These two sanguafae were great at getting me off balance.

***

Hours later, tucked safely back on the Griffin's bridge, I found myself staring at the ceiling with a newfound respect for dog toys tough enough to last between two dogs playing with them.

"Are you still with us, Captain?” Melgara asked.

“I think he's struggling after too much attention." Violet had a wry smirk on her face.

I leaned forward in my chair. "Not inaccurate," I said quickly. "They really wrung me dry."

"Oh, I am certain if we left you alone with the two of them, you would be a husk right now," Violet said with a chuckle. "It was like watching two cats discover catnip for the first time."

“They would not stop rubbing themselves against you.” Lily growled with crossed arms. She had pried them off on more than one occasion. When one of them left a lipstick mark on my neck she nearly killed Gretchen to the point that Minnie had to intervene.

I glanced at Melgara. "Are sanguafae all like that?" I asked.

The doctor shrugged. "No race is a monolith. But by and far, you'll find most sanguafae seem to be exaggerative flirts and at least a little manipulative. But it's also not entirely correct to call sanguafae a species. They're more of a virus, really." She spun around in her chair; now that we were in hyperspace flying away from Sage Shores, she didn't need to have her hands on the controls.

"They're a virus?" I asked, suddenly curious.

Melgara nodded. "It's got a lot of names. The kiss. The embrace. But what turns a woman into a sanguafae is a virus that makes them all sort of homogenous genetically, which is why I called them a virus and not a race. A race would have more genetic diversity and a wide range of traits that would create a gene pool. Instead, the sanguafae are more of a collection of viruses. The different strains all create similar women, with only subtle mutational differences."

"Why only women?" I asked.

Melgara leaned forward, seeming somewhat excited to talk about this topic. "No one knows why, but when the virus associates with Y-chromosome-containing cells, instead of converting the cell it does considerable damage. In low doses, men build up an immunity to the virus, given that it's actually rather weak. To turn a woman into a sanguafae it takes over a litter of blood being injected for it to take hold. Though there are documented cases where the sanguafae have," she hesitated for the right word, "punished certain men and injected them with a high quantity of sanguafae blood. It essentially liquefies the man in question from the inside out."

I shuddered.

"Not pleasant," Melgara agreed. "But I don't think when they do it, they're intending for a pleasant death. In their culture there are a few taboos that they can be quite firm in their attempts to disincentivize."

"Having my body liquefied from the inside out is certainly a disincentive," I nodded, barely believing the sentence I managed to string together.

"Yes, well, the other trick is what they feed on before they became a space faring race. There have been theories about what they fed on when their race first came to pass, or what females they may have converted for the first sanguafae. Their present reality is they need a steady stream of women to continue their race, and a steady stream of other willing participants for feeding. Of course the easy answer is not pretty and was the core ideology that kept the war with them and the Federation churning, but they’ve lost, had the Federation laws imposed on them and are a participating memeber. Thus, the sanguafae core worlds are largely high-quality resorts. The amenities are considered quite cheap, given currency there includes payment in blood."

I shook my head and looked around at the rest of the bridge. No one seemed surprised.

"Why are they all over my captain?" Lily asked, and I realized she was learning about their species as well.

"Most likely because some quality of either himself or the modifications that have been made to him make him smell particularly enticing. Or even just unique." Melgara answered. “Sanguafae preferences can be as varied as any other race and despite the research on fake blood for them, there has been little clear understanding of what makes some people more desirable than others.”

Lily frowned. "I am happy the procedure worked and the captain is with us, but these were not foreseen consequences," her voice turned sharp.

The Stellari held her hands up. "I am very aware. But there was no way to know all the side effects."

"Are you able to isolate what might be the cause?" Minnie asked.

"If we had other subjects to test. But realistically this is an unrepeatable scenario," Melgara said with a wave of her hand.

Minnie hummed at that. "I see. We will just hope that the captain uses his new affinity for sanguafae appropriately."

I held my hands up from where I sat leaning back in my chair. "I have zero desire to use this affinity," I said quickly. I had found the last few hours exhausting, and we were likely going to meet those two several more times before this was all done. A horrifying proposal. They were experienced sanguafae and supposed to be in solid control of their restraint. I wondered if they had a different meaning to that word or if being in a smaller, enclosed room had made it that much worse.

"If you'd like, I can negotiate with them on your behalf," Tiri offered, a slight chuckle escaping the merchant.

"I doubt it would work," Minnie said.

"Really?" Tiri asked.

"You did not see them," Violet informed the other Kikai. "They were like two tigresses in heat, and the captain was catnip. They were basically passing him back and forth to rub their bodies against. And the only thing that perhaps prevented them from absconding with the captain was Lily. And perhaps a bit of Minnie and Asteria."

"Who is a third order sanguafae?" Tiri asked for clarification. That fact apparently was the hardest part for her to believe in the story we'd told since coming back.

"Third order, and forced to remain in place," Minnie clarified. "She is very dangerous. Even with me present, I would dare not guarantee your safety. I could guarantee mutually assured destruction for her, should she push the envelope. Though thankfully it seems the captain is at least passingly resistant to her attempts at mental manipulation."

Tiri stared at me. "I can't believe you looked a third order in the eyes. I know only about a third of them can do it, but shit Captain."

"I can't believe no one told me I wasn't supposed to do that." I threw my hands in the air. Though they all looked at me like I was an idiot. Apparently, this was supposed to be common knowledge and they were treating my words like a joke.

No wonder Asteria was probing my background further. I had met her eyes without fear, which she mistook for confidence, when really it was just plain ignorance. Thank whatever higher power there might be that I was resistant to it, otherwise I shuddered to think what would become of me right now.

I’d probably be chained up in some room begging for sanguafae to nibble on me with my mind a shattered mess.

"Well, it's one thing in favor of saying how rigid the captain's mind is," Melgara quickly interjected. "There have been a number of studies with sanguafae manipulation. The stronger sense of self you have, the more rigid your mind is, and the less they're able to change it."

"So I'm just extra sure of myself?" I asked.

"That's a gross exaggeration, but not incorrect. To resist on your level would likely require a decade of consistent practice, even then you didn’t appear to be actively resisting according to Minnie," Melgara said glancing at the black dragon who nodded. Something passed unsaid between the two of them before Melgara quickly changed the topic. "But now that we've all caught up on recent affairs, where exactly are we going?"

I leaned back and stared absently out into space for a moment longer. "We're going to head to the Cal Seraph nebula. Putting a few pieces of information together that we received from Asteria and the two pirates, it seems there's a decent chance of there having been a laboratory critical to the Unity’s Project Tomorrow there."

"A big step," Melgara observed, and I could see her desires warring with herself. She understood the danger of this next choice, but she also was nearly drooling at the information the laboratory might have on site.

And I nodded along with her comment. "Very big step. But if we're going to make any headway, it's the exact kind of step that we need to start taking. Especially if we're going to solve any of our issues ourselves."

I glanced over at Violet, biting her lip. "It will be fine," I reassured her.

"You cannot guarantee that, Captain," she said.

"I cannot," I agreed. "That won't stop me from trying."