Alien Revolt (Clans of Kalquor Book 11) Read online

  Clans of Kalquor 11

  ALIEN REVOLT

  By

  Tracy St. John

  © copyright June 2017, Tracy St. John

  Cover art by Erin Dameron-Hill, © copyright April 2017

  This is a work of fiction. All characters, events, and places are of the author’s

  imagination and not to be confused with fact. Any resemblance to living persons or

  events is merely coincidence.

  Kindle Edition

  This ebook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then please return to Amazon.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  Prologue

  Chapter 1

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Prologue

  The Kalquorian Empire is a civilization of great importance to the Galactic Council of Planets. The fierce but intelligent species has been at the forefront of technological, medical, and scientific breakthroughs for millennia. Their military might has never been in question; even their ancient enemy, the opportunistic race of Tragooms, hesitates to attack a Kalquorian force half its size.

  However, Kalquor’s survival is in jeopardy. The force which threatened this mighty race was not one that wielded weaponry. It could not even be seen with the naked eye. It was a virus.

  Centuries ago, this virus struck the home world of Kalquor, wiping out a substantial number of its people, particularly the females. Symptoms included massive bleeding of the body’s major organs, along with those of the female reproductive tract. Damaging the X-chromosome of the Kalquorians, the virus’ effects went beyond death. The majority of women not killed outright were rendered infertile, and daughters born to those who could bear children were not guaranteed the ability to do the same. The virus altered the very DNA of the entire race.

  In an effort to keep their race from going extinct and prevent fighting amongst the men, family groups called clans were formed. Each clan was made up of one female known as the Matara (childbearer or ‘lifebringer’) and representatives of each of the three breeds of male: the Dramok (leader), Imdiko (caregiver), and Nobek (protector).

  Despite their efforts, the numbers of Kalquorians continued to decline. So few children were born that extinction was thought by many to be inevitable. Despite all their medical expertise and attempts to find compatible species to mate with, the Kalquorian culture seemed destined to disappear.

  Nearly two decades ago, a scout ship from a small, isolated planet no one knew of flew into the Galactic Council of Planets’ space. These newcomers, searching for new planets to house the overflow of their ever-growing population, called their home planet Earth. It was immediately remarked upon how similar they were to Kalquorians. The doomed race took note at once, and hope was restored. It was theorized that perhaps the Earthers were the fabled Lost Tribe of Kalquor’s ancient ancestors.

  Earth, however, was not as enthralled with their potential distant cousins. Ruled by a government based on fanatical religious beliefs, Earthers were taught they were God’s Chosen, made in his wondrous image. They looked upon Kalquor with hostility, growing outraged when the beleaguered inhabitants of that empire suggested compatibility testing for purposes of interbreeding.

  The leaders of the Kalquorian Empire, feeling they had no other recourse, decided the time had come to seduce Earther females and convince them to come to Kalquor. Women on Earth were treated as lesser creatures and second-class citizens by their government and religion. The Kalquorians, with their near-worship of women, hoped they could entice these lifebringers to join their clans. And if the women would not be seduced, Kalquor was no longer above the distasteful necessity of abducting them outright.

  Almost two thousand Earther women went to Kalquor, putting the Empire and Earth at each other’s throats. Then the unthinkable happened: an Earther woman joined the aliens’ ruling clan, making her Kalquor’s empress. Earth immediately declared war.

  The fighting was horrific, with Earth’s greater numbers slowly overwhelming Kalquor’s more advanced technology. With its already dwindling numbers reaching crisis stage, the Empire was desperate to find a way to win the war and secure its future. They staged an invasion of Earth itself. Earth’s answer was to set off nuclear explosions beneath its own major cities, devastating the population and dooming the planet.

  Most of the survivors have been rescued by Kalquor. Some women, traumatized by their experiences under Earth’s tyranny, have dared to start anew with the Kalquorians. There are still too few to guarantee Kalquor’s survival, and they are held by most of the alien men in the highest regard.

  A few renegades from the old Earther fleet and army are still on the loose, however, including Earth’s former leader, Browning Copeland.

  Not all Kalquorians are happy to have the Earthers among them. Some are determined to see Kalquor go extinct rather than mix the species. ‘The Basma’ Dramok Maf spearheads a rebellion, putting Kalquor in the grips of a civil war. Because of an alliance with Earth’s fanatical former leader Browning Copeland, Maf has added to his cause renegades from the old Earther fleet.

  The tide has turned against the Empire. The Basma is poised to win, which will mean the deaths of Earthers who have joined with Kalquorians—and guarantee the extinction of Kalquor itself.

  Only a handful of spies loyal to the Empire stands between destruction of the Kalquorian Empire and its hybrid population. They will begin with the rebellious forces threatening two civilian colonies: Haven and Rokan. Though the battle is on for these seemingly insignificant targets, the stakes couldn’t be higher for both sides of the conflict.

  Chapter 1

  Hope Nath’s thoughts were wrapped around her younger sister’s latest hijinks as she traveled the battlecruiser’s corridor. She controlled the urge to stomp from the teenager’s classroom back to the department where she worked. She noticed little around her as she went. The corridors of the battlecruiser Sword of Truth were ever the same anyway: the carpet beneath her feet going threadbare, half the computers and readouts set in the walls dim from failure, the air musty from constant recycling. The hum of the engines was so omnipresent as to be unheard now, and she did not note the soft tread of the few crewmates who hurried past her.

  She came back to the present in an instant when she turned the corner and crashed right into a big, solid—and immovable—Kalquorian body. The collision with the man’s torso, reinforced by a blue armored formsuit, knocked her back a couple of steps.

  “Watch it, boy,” the owner of the body snarled in a raspy voice.

  Hope looked up and up at the huge specimen and his even bigger companion. Being somewhat diminutive, she was used to gazing up at others, but Kalquorians averaged well over six feet tall. The one she’d plowed into was no exception.

  The face staring down at her blinked blue-purple, cat-pupiled eyes. They shined bright
with intelligence in well-lit corridor, widening as the man took her measure. For a moment his elegant features, slightly offset by a heavy jaw, softened with a note of apology. “Oh…Matara?” He shot a startled expression at the black-uniformed bearded brute standing by his side.

  Then the Kalquorian blockade recovered his composure and scowled at her. “I thought the Earthers kept their women under lock and key, Captain Kila.”

  “Maybe this one slipped her chains, Admiral.” The other man smirked. Despite his almost primitive aspect, he had a wild handsomeness one might ascribe to a tiger or other magnificent beast.

  With their faces settling into unimpressed countenances, they stepped aside and continued on their way without a backwards glance. Hope turned to watch the behemoths stride in their one-piece uniforms that molded to their bodies—especially their backsides. She caught herself admiring the curves before she could help herself.

  Big jerks with nice butts. One with bad eyesight.

  No, Hope couldn’t fault the one for initially mistaking her for a boy. Her baggy brown technician’s uniform wasn’t exactly flattering. She was compact and not curvy in the least. Hope usually found comfort in not possessing the kind of body that made men glance twice. Yet for some reason, it stung this time.

  Of all the males to have her feelings hurt by, Kalquorians should have been at the bottom of the list. She scowled. As she turned her back on the pair hurrying on their way, Hope muttered under her breath, “Alien bastards. I’ll be glad when you Kalqs finish self-destructing with your stupid civil war.”

  She got moving again, counseling herself to be glad she’d not impressed them nearly as much as they’d impressed her. Earth’s propaganda against the Kalquorians had claimed they were all determined to rape her home planet’s women. It hadn’t turned out to be true for the whole alien race, however.

  A number of the Kalquorians had revolted against their Empire for allowing Earther women to live with them. It was that group the pathetic remains of Earth’s military fleet fought on the side of. Two species who hated each other and yet held the same cause dear: no mixing the races, not even to save themselves from extinction.

  Hope sighed as she neared her work station. Politics. Fanatical beliefs. They had shaped her entire life and showed no sign of abating. She and her father were no closer to stopping the madness despite all their efforts.

  They’d been so close at one time. They’d been right at the wire, readying to overthrow the Holy Leader back on Earth. Years in the making, the rebellion Hope’s parents had helped spearhead had been mere weeks away from being realized. Then the Kalquorians invaded their space, triggering massive nuclear annihilation. Hope, her sister Charity, and their father had managed to get on the ship which spirited Browning Copeland and a few others off Earth moments before the cataclysm. Hope’s mother, who’d been meeting with their contacts in Paris, had been killed. Lost, like billions of others, the last casualties in the war between Earth and Kalquor. Lost, like Earth itself.

  Everything they’d hoped for was long gone, like the revolution that never happened, the revolution which would have ended Holy Leader Browning Copeland’s tyranny once and for all.

  * * * *

  Piras clenched his fists as he replayed his reaction to the young woman he’d almost run over moments before. He spoke to Kila in Kalquorian, reasonably sure the few Earthers they passed wouldn’t understand him. “Fuck. I damned near exposed us just now.”

  His subordinate and clanmate turned his eternal smirk on him. “Try not to worry about it. Pretty faces distract me too. You know I can’t think straight around you.”

  Piras’s scowl deepened. He shot his Nobek a warning look. “Stop your playing. I’m serious, Kila. The moment I realized I’d nearly run over a woman, I came close to bowing and begging her to let me make up for my inattention.” He shook his head and thought about punching the dingy wall he passed. “I swear, sometimes I think I’m the worst spy in the fleet.”

  “You’re not. What you are is a perfectionist who doesn’t accept anyone’s dumb-assery, least of all your own.” Kila’s mocking grin deepened. “Don’t worry. I’ll be glad to punish you for the lapse later.”

  The word punish had an instant effect on Piras. His groin gave a throb of excitement, which pissed him off all the more. “Don’t tease me when we’re about to deal with Browning Copeland, or I’ll punish you. Better yet, I’ll have Lokmi do it.”

  Kila growled low in his throat, but his mocking smile never wavered. “Maybe if I’m a good boy and give him the upper hand, he’ll agree to join our clan.”

  Piras’s stomach lurched with want and hurt. Lokmi was the only Imdiko he could imagine joining his and Kila’s newly-forged clan. The man was perfect for the two of them, the one person who could fit with their particular challenges. Unfortunately, Lokmi had significant issues of his own, problems which had thus far kept him from becoming their third.

  Love had always been a hateful bastard, in Piras’s opinion. For far too long, misplaced love for the wrong Nobek had kept him from realizing Kila was the right one. It was a wonder his clanmate hadn’t given up and walked away from Piras. Instead, Kila had forced him to face and get over his heartbreaking sixteen-year relationship with Nobek Lidon. Piras hadn’t wanted to relinquish his hurt, the sense of being cheated. It had made his and Kila’s path to clanship a difficult one.

  It would be so much easier if Piras could live without love, but he’d found he couldn’t. He needed Kila and Lokmi. It was as simple as that. At least he’d won the Nobek. Now he needed Lokmi to get past his fears. A tall order, Piras knew. The Imdiko would be far less forgiving than Kila if Piras screwed things up.

  Piras thought he had a tendency to screw things up quite a bit. It was an unwanted talent.

  I’m doing better though. One day, Lokmi will see he’s meant for us, and we’ll be complete. Piras had gotten used to giving himself such pep talks.

  “Turn here,” Kila said, consulting his handheld. The landing bay officer aboard the battlecruiser had grudgingly given them directions to where they needed to go. Browning Copeland had not bothered to send them a guide to his inner sanctum. Piras had no doubt he was making an ill-mannered power play. It probably amused the Holy Leader to think of two Kalquorians bumbling around a hostile Earther battlecruiser.

  Piras’s thoughts turned from the struggles of love to the struggles of war as he sighted the guarded doorway halfway down the corridor. The two Earther men in red and gray uniforms on either side of the door snapped to attention as Piras and Kila neared. A third guard behind a table across from the doorway stood up from his chair and eyed them with open hostility.

  “I take it you are Admiral Piras and Captain Kila?” The man spoke slowly, as if he thought he dealt with imbeciles.

  Piras snapped a nod. “We are.”

  “Your weapons are not allowed in the presence of our Holy Leader.” The guard gazed significantly at the two blasters and four knives sheathed in Kila’s utility belt. Piras was not armed.

  Though Kila’s gaze drilled into the guard’s with aggressive intensity, his almost-constant smirk remained in place. The bearded Nobek’s rough but handsome features were not softened by the ceaseless smile that made it seem like he enjoyed a private joke at everyone else’s expense. The guard twitched with obvious discomfort, though Piras couldn’t be certain if it was from Kila’s unnerving expression, his bulging physique, or the plethora of weapons he laid down on the table. In addition to the knives and blasters from his belt, he pulled a long blade from a scabbard which lay against his spine, which had been hidden under his mass of black hair. He followed it with another knife, taken from its hiding place within his right boot. He removed a couple of explosives from the left boot. Piras thought there were at least another couple of knives secreted somewhere on his clanmate. He said nothing as Kila held out his hands and turned around for inspection, indicating he was done.

  “Do you want to search us?” the destroyer captain offe
red in a pleasant tone that managed to imply death to anyone who took him up on it.

  The guard stared at the massive man before him, at the scarred arms which spoke of dozens, if not hundreds of fights. He drew a breath to steady himself. “You look clean, but I have orders to check.” He gazed at Piras. His expression suggested he was asking the senior officer to keep Kila from gutting him for following directives.

  “I’m unarmed, but you’re welcome to do your job,” the admiral told him. His raspy voice held a note of polite warning. Check but don’t fuck with us.

  The guard came around the table. Glancing at the other two Earthers waiting by the door as if for reassurance, he conducted a sloppy pat-down on Piras. When he got to Kila, whose natural smirk had disappeared for the moment into a threatening glare, his search became shoddier yet. He found no other weapons on the looming Nobek.

  Kila sneered, “Are you done, sweetheart? Or should we have a few drinks too?”

  The guard jerked back, revulsion joining his fear. Same-sex liaisons among the Earthers were punishable by torture and death. The Kalquorians’ easy acceptance and frequent indulgence of such relationships was well known and abhorred by most Earthers, at least in public.

  Piras suspected only the uneasy alliance between the Holy Leader and the Kalquorians revolting against their government kept the guard from reacting violently to Kila’s suggestive comments. The Earther put the desk between himself and the pair in a hurry. He jerked his head to the guards by the door. “They’re clear. Let them in.”

  Kila couldn’t resist a parting shot, not when he knew it would piss the Earther off. “Make sure all my toys are waiting for me when I’m done here, or you will get a royal fucking—and not the kind I think you’d like.” His smile had returned, but it was the one he wore when he was at his most dangerous. Big, terrifying, full of white teeth. The guard recoiled with an open expression of fear.