Title: Fated Enslavement

Genre: Planetary Romance

Summary: Prince Roake Vinesk Xykull never thought a rumored experiment with battle prowess could cause him this much trouble. He’d never wanted the Rivi to be in their custody in the first place – least of all his. What use did they have for a Rivian experiment, a woman, who showed no signs of the rumored battle intelligence? Rii-6 seemed almost unconcerned with the fight for control of her. What did she know that they didn’t? Did she know anything? …Was she even alive?

Author’s Notes: NANOWRIMO FIC! Yep, so expect fairly quick updates. For those of you who do not know what Nanowrimo is, go to nanowrimo (dot) org. 50,000 words in 30 days! Since this is a Nano fic, editing has not been done, though it shouldn’t be too bad. Hehe.

Fated Enslavement

Chapter One

“Those Rivian bastards must have hid the entrance!” A loud man from the 1st contingent growled.

“Keep searching,” General Voskore’s voice was deep as it bounced off the metal walls. The hallway was spattered with blood and the remains of the Rivian guards that had met their end. Sweat and blood weighed down his jade hair against his neck. “Check the tiles, the laboratory might be hidden beneath the palace!”

A man no more than five- foot-six clutched his axe tighter and stepped forward. Wild hair of amethyst lingered across his eyes as he looked to the broad shouldered man. “This can’t be it! We’ve looked everywhere, Sir!”

“Quit your complaining.” Voskore hissed and kneeled down. His gloved fingers ran over the groves in the ceramic flooring in search of anything unusual. The stench of death was littering the air and the mission hadn’t went as planned since they disembarked the Xyk-9. “If you don’t like it, kill yourself now and save me the trouble.”

“General!” Another’s voice chimed in and boots clicked with haste against the floor. “More guards are coming down from either end.”

The man pursed his lips as his fingers found an abnormality, “Lode, Oscon, tear open the wall to my left and find the switch. Grune, Roxe – split the squad and take care of it!”

From the stoic expression the strong jawed General wore it was hard to tell he had run nearly three miles through the palace’s tunnels battling enemy after enemy. Damn Rivians! They’re secrecy is going to get us killed. Voskore clenched his jaw as sparks flew from the metal being torn apart. His red eyes smoldered as he heard the fighting down the narrow hall get closer. The purge crew will be entering the atmosphere in less than an hour! We do not have time to keep looking for those experiments. “Hurry up!”

“Found it!” Lode Gylent’s sharp voice declared, shoving three wires together. The floor shook and Voskore took a defensive stance and gripped the hilt of his sword. Sounds of broken glass and the jagged Rivian language swam up from beneath the ceramic that began to drop. “Fuck! Oscon take the front – Lode, follow me! If it’s the lab, keep the scientists alive if you can – kill everyone else that attacks.”

Grune turned his side to the metal door as he detonated the specks of sparkling flakes that he had stuck to the surface. The chain mailed covered leather took the shards with ease and he bolted forward. “Fucking sons of space trash!” He snapped as more glass began exploding along the back wall.

“Grab him!” Voskore growled and slammed the blunt of his sword against another’s head. The woman in light green medical garbs collapsed and the needle she had been lifting to her own neck shattered against the ground. He moved quickly to the next scientist, but the man fell limp in front of him, a needle sticking out from his side. “Damn it!”

“Stay still you fuckin’,” A gurgle interrupted Grune’s speech and crimson eyes barely flicked in his direction as he fell; followed quickly by the man he had been holding. “Lode—“

“Already secured this one, Sir!” Gylent interrupted and dragged the man over to the unconscious woman.

Voskore swore as he swept along the small room and looked at the naked bodies in glass chambers along the wall. “They’re already dead! All of those Rivi’s they created—Lode, get over here!”

A broken control consol buzzed in the far corner and vials, tubes, and medical instruments were strewn about the lab in damaged disarray. It was as though the Rivian’s knew the Xykull Royal Contingents were coming to destroy Rivian Gall 8 - they’re 33rd moon.

“Check this Rivi and make sure no traps are setup to destroy it! The entry we took must have been rigged.” The General ordered and stepped over a dead scientist to an operating table. Long aqua hair was splayed out around the woman’s heart shaped face and he could see her eyes moving beneath her thick-lashed eyelids. The only sign he could see that showed she was an experiment, a Rivi, was the Rivi brand along the left of her neck and the three tattooed rings on each of her middle fingers – indicating she was a slave.

“It doesn’t make sense how they missed her. She’s in the center of everything.” Lode said upon taking a small circular device from the satchel on his hip. It glowed blue and blinked before writing appeared on the small center screen. “It’s alive still, but the readings are strange.”

“Our explosive entrance might have been enough of a distraction,” the General supplemented.

Lode’s eyes traveled around the table and he shook his head, “I think it’s safe, sir.”

“Good enough,” Voskore declared and hurried to remove the straps holding the woman to the table. Her curvaceous body was light as he flipped her over and took haste in tying her arms with a roped metal that dug into the ivory flesh. A small moan left her lips and the General growled. His movements were swift as he swung the experiment, the Rivi, onto his shoulder and headed towards the door.

His second arm grabbed the bound and unconscious scientist on top of the pile of two. The man’s body heavy against the General’s right shoulder. “Get the Xyk-9 on the communicator! We need to get out of here before the purge crew takes us out with the rest of them.”

Lode hurried to grab the other scientist. He flipped the woman over his shoulder and drove a hand into his satchel as he went. “Yes Sir!”

The dark haired General jogged up the ceramic stairs and towards the hall his crew had been fighting in. His subordinate, a man younger than his thirty-six years by a decade, talked rapidly through a headpiece. They’d be lucky to make it to the ship before it had to leave.

“All set, Sir!” Gylent panted, straining to keep up with the man. “They said to keep on the direction we’re going and they’ll catch up to us at the turn point. The others from the second contingent are finishing off the enemy ahead as we speak.”

Voskore tightened his grip on the woman and leapt over a pit that had formed in the hall. “Are any of the other Rivi’s in our custody?”

“No Sir,” Lode gasped and stumbled, but managed to catch himself against the wall. “That’s why the ship is coming for us. Only two other contingents managed to find any of the labs and all of the Rivi’s were destroyed before they even had a chance. King Krykoic is giving orders for the purge crew to destroy the planet once we leave instead of just eradicating the remainders.”

“Fucking bastards knew we were coming.” Voskore growled and felt the palace shake. His shoulder hit against the wall and he darted in diagonal patterns until the quaking stopped. Metal and dirt filled the hall ahead and he could see the curved side of the Ryk-9 through the dust that was flooding through.

Lode’s eyebrows sprang towards his hairline as he spared a look behind him. “Rivian’s headed our way, Sir,” he yelled.

The General let out an angered noise and pushed his feet faster, “Pick up the pace, we don’t have much time!” Bastards! I am not going to die on this backwater piece of shit.

Light flooded the dusty air and crimson eyes could make out the emergency entry of the spacecraft. Dark hues amongst the dirt were hard to make out, but he could see many of them disappearing into the Ryk-9. The sound of boots hitting the ground were heavy and echoing all over, they were becoming surrounded. If they didn’t get aboard the getaway ship they’re wouldn’t be a chance at escaping a gruesome death of disassembled limbs.

“We made it!” Lode cried out.

Voskore gave a quick nod to the man at the entry, who was ushering them in like cattle. His subordinate’s breathing was loud and he could hear the groans of injured men and woman inside as he hurried up the ramp. Running two miles in less than adequate time was going to be even more painful once he was able to stop hurrying.

“We got them, take off now!” A voice cried out and the General skidded down the remainder of the ramp as it lifted in a hurry.

Lode went tumbling down beside the leader of his contingent and the scientist he carried gave a wheezing groan as she cushioned his short fall.

The ship shuddered, jerked, and took out more of the palace walls as it managed to make a quick exit. Voskore dropped the scientist’s body on top of the younger man and earned a curse. “Take another with you and put those two in the holding cells. Make certain they can’t move.”

“General Voskore!” A loud voice rushed into the conversation from the man who had been at the entry. His silver-trimmed black vest was covered in flakes of metal and his blonde hair splayed with a film of dust. “Is that the Rivi, sir? I am Lusind Vulcor, fourth in command for the third contingent, I can take it to the holding—“

An angered tone slid from the jade haired mans lips. Like gravel against silk and leaving no room for argument. “No, she comes with me. I don’t trust anything made in a laboratory by a Rivian. It is too much of a risk to leave it where it could activate.”

“She certainly doesn’t look like what I expected.” Lode commented, hauling one of the bodies over his shoulder with a grunt. Another man gasped in pain, but managed to pick up the heavier of the two scientists. His injured leg now regretting getting up from one of the benches located on either side of the narrow emergency wing.

“Rivian’s like to create attractive experiments to fool their enemies.” Voskore replied deadpanned and strode past the others. He stopped at the door and looked back to the man of the third contingent. “Vulcor, be useful and contact King Krykoic. Ask him if he knows why the Rivian’s did not use the Rivi’s to attack us.”

“Yes Sir! Thank you, sir!” Lusind eagerly responded.

Voskore could barely hear the man’s reply as he stepped into the hall and the door shut. The wide space was a reprieve from the narrowness of the palace. Rivi… it is Rivian for Planetary Battle Defense Slave. Why were they not activated then? If they cannot even keep three contingents from ransacking a planet, what use could they possibly be? Were the rumors of them false? Are they as useless as they seem?

Movement upon his shoulder startled the General and he drove his lips into a frown. “Don’t move.” His command failed and the woman shifted again. “I said—“

“General Voskore?”

Crimson eyes snapped to the man standing by the control room’s elevator entrance. “Voce,” he greeted with a hint of a bitter tone. “Well?”

“King Krykoic has issued orders for you to take over command of the Xyk-9. Our pilot was injured and needs medical attention.”

Voskore narrowed his eyes, “What of the backup?”

“He is the backup pilot, Sir. Konilk is dead; we lost him along with eight of the original crew from one of the Rivian incineration weapons. It wiped out any in view of the glass and we almost lost control of Xyk-9 had it not been for the current pilot. He is a bit out of sorts, but is flying well enough at the moment.”

This was a ridiculous mission. We should never have gone after a rumored weapon. Rivi’s… Voskore grunted and hurried to the lift. At least she stopped moving. He could see the man beside him eye the woman, no doubt wondering many things. Even he was curious.

“Hairless, huh?” Voce mused, keying in a code into a small box on the wall.

The lift smoothly rose and the general lowered his gaze to the hair that swung across his chest. “Not quite.”

“General Voskore!”

Several of the current crew glanced towards the man in the entry with a look of reverence and confusion. Crimson eyes were engulfed in the array of multicolored lights that bounced off the large windows that spread across the curved front. The blackness of space was a mild comfort to his indifferent gaze. It took a moment for the control room to lose its awkward brightness and Voskore moved towards the pilot terminal with heavy steps.

A bland voice cut through the air, loud and clear with a prominent double beep. “Autopilot engaged.”

“I apologize, General.” The pilot’s voice was low and wavered as he stood. His orange tinted eyes twitching back and forth as though trying to focus. An exasperated expression came to his face as he looked to the Rivi. “There’s something on your shoulder, Sir.”

“You’re the one that piloted us out of Rivian Gall?” Voskore questioned and tried to hold back his disbelief. Though it does explain why the ship crashed through the wall rather than the destination they gave. The man swayed in his spot and he waved his hand to Voce who was just a few feet away. He might as well have been twirling his damn thumbs. “Are you waiting for a fucking invitation, Voce?” He yelled. “Get him to the medical quarters before he drops dead. He saved all of our asses and you’re letting him stagger into oblivion!”

“Yes Sir, Sorry Sir!” The tone was sharp and Voskore pursed his lips. There wasn’t time to kill him at the moment; even if he had wanted to for some time. With a hard thump of his shoulder and a pull of his arms the General tossed the Rivi down to the ground. Her head hit against the metal and he could hear a small mewl leave her lips as though she was a small animal.

Heh, for all I know, she is. The broad-shouldered man took a seat in the pilot’s chair and spared a look to the woman again. “Stay there and don’t move.” Why am I bothering? It wouldn’t be surprising if the Rivian’s made another slew of sex slaves and we received false information on what they were. …However, that fails to explain why they were under that kind of security. Most of them self-imploded from the looks of it. Unless they were too worried about anyone getting their hands on one of them that they went to such extremes. None of this makes sense!

“Pilot, General Voskore, authorized. Xyk-9 approaching autopilot checkpoint, please confirm autopilot route. I repeat—“

Voskore’s fingers darted over the series of vertical keys many times with an experienced ease. Various members of the crew shouted out in sequential order to the confirmation of coordinates. His tongue clicked against the roof of his mouth as he finally completed the commands. I hate flying these. The entire Xyk fleet are more complicated than they should be.

“Autopilot coordinates confirmed. Thirty minutes to next checkpoint.”

The woman shifted and he turned in his seat. “I told you not to move.”

“Is that truly a Rivi, sir?” A woman in the row just below the pilot’s station interjected. Her gold eyes were level with the floor due to her seat being several feet below.

With a click of his tongue he looked at the crew member with annoyance. “Obviously, or I would not have risked my life hauling it while running from a brigade intent on dismembering me. That would be an asinine endeavor.” He snapped.

“Prince Ly’kroll would disagree with that, I think.” She said with a blush rising to her grin perched face.

Voskore narrowed his eyes. She was not the first to be infatuated with the sexually addicted younger brother of his close friend. Nor would she be the last. “Focus on your terminal or I will have you removed from your post. We are still in the Xylot System; the Rivians can still reach us here.”

“Yes Sir. Forgive me, Sir.” The crew woman hurriedly stated as she turned around and did as ordered.

The General pursed his lips and looked to the Rivi. His eye twitched. Deep orbs of an iridescent blue were staring at him in a liquid-like trance. He could almost swear they swirled a little. It made his stomach twist with unease as she turned her head in the direction of the space-viewing windows. “I told you not to—“

“There are three ships approaching.”

Voskore visibly jerked and narrowed his eyes. “Do not lie to me or I will kill you now.”

“They’re getting closer.”

“Seat 3, check the radar map!” He snapped and drew his eyes to the array of lights that fill the left of the windows with a translucent map. Two blue swirls showed, signifying their own fleet, but nothing else appeared. “Lying bitch.” Voskore growled and leaned forward. His heart rate was soaring as the instance of surprise and a hint of fear changed to anger. With haste his hand shot out towards her and grasped the silky strands of blue in a death grip. “Do not think for a moment I will put up with whatever coy act of manipulation you are trying to pull!”

The Rivi mewled and the man shoved her back to the floor.

“Try that again and I’ll snap your neck.” He lied. The orders were specific about keeping the Rivi’s alive, unless there were no other options. King Krykoic knew something he didn’t and he hoped he could make home to find out – at the very least from Prince Roake. It would be nice to know what exactly I just risked my life fo—

“General, the radar is picking up an abnormal signal!”

“What the—“

“It can’t be! How could they have gotten so close without detection?”

Voskore gasped as he leaned forward against the terminal. Three ships appeared on the radar screen, “Prepare for impact!” He yelled and reached for the controls.

The Xyk-9 lurched to the right and the yelling in below decks echoed through the lifts entry.

“Xyk-9 under attack.”

“No shit.” A crew member snapped. “General! There is a fuel—“ The ship lurched to the opposite direction and the man fought to talk as he clicked against the keys. “Error to that, Sir. Fuel leaks from both tanks, switching to reserves!”

“Autopilot cannot disengage at this time. I repeat, autopilot—“

“What the fuck?” Voskore growled, reentering the coding. The same computerized words rang across the hall and the woman in the row before him turned with frightened eyes.

“They’ve taken over the controls! None of the commands are responding.”

“I’ve noticed!” The General snapped and rose from his seat. “Fight your way to the escape pods or find a place to hide! Manuel override is permitted, inform any others along the way.” Damn it! I need to get those two scientists as well. With speed, he latched onto the Rivi again and tugged her to her feet. “You’re coming with me!”

The scurrying of frenzied crew sent a cold chill down the thirty-six year olds spine. This is no time to panic, I’ve been through worse than this. His boots clicked against the floor and he tossed the woman over his shoulder again before jumping down the shaft of the lift that hadn’t yet rose. How did they manage to hide themselves like that? How did the Rivi know?

Voskore picked up his pace into a run.

The woman mewled again.

“Be quiet!” He snapped.

“They’re onboard!” A voice yelled, the shrill town carrying through from an upper floor.

“Fuck!” Crimson eyes darted back and forth as he sprinted down the hall. The lighting flickered and sparks from torn wiring lit some of the darkened passages. Fuck, fuck, fuck. The cells and escape pods are above. I’m not going to be able to get to them in time.

The sound of fighting carried down a nearby hall and Voskore’s jaw clenched. Damn it! His eyes took in the area and stopped on the small storage enclosure on the wall. His gloved hand twisted the handle and pulled open the slender closet, it clanked louder than he would have liked.

It’s likely they’ll leave the ship to float through space once they’re done with us. It’s worth a shot. Frustration and the weight of what was likely to come fueled the General. His words were angry as they parted his lips and he slid the woman from his shoulder. Being the head of the Xykull Royal Contingents and General to the 1st contingent never left much of a life expectancy.

“Get in and don’t leave! Don’t make a damn fucking sound at all, got it?” With a none-too-gentle nudging, he slammed the door shut and locked it.

Voskore unsheathed his sword and took off down the hall. The least I can do now is survive long enough to send a message back to Planet Kirest.

To Be Continued…

A/n: Thank you for reading! Any reviews would be very much appreciated, so please do.