Romances

Sunday, August 22, 2021

Six on Sunday - LHORA, a Sensuous Sci-Fi Romance

Six paragraphs from LHORA, a sensuous sci-fi romance.

1.  As the entourage drew nearer, Lhora studied the group. There were five of them, all males. Four obviously seasoned veterans and one younger. One of the older four, the one in the lead, had that attitude that was easily recognizable. The other three she could make an educated guess as to who they were. But the younger one? Was he a trainee? A scribe? Or someone expected to serve the others? She found it ironic that she might be expected to second-guess each man’s reason for attending, the same way she and her mother planned to treat them.

2. “I don’t know,” she admitted. “But I’m betting he wasn’t expecting the Tra’Mell to overtake and board him. He readied his armament, but he only used it as…as what? A bluff? A deterrent? Who knows?” She threw an arm out in the direction of the bay doors. “You’re still under your shields, right? That’s why the Tra’Mell haven’t noticed you yet. You know they’re listening in on your communications. They know no help is coming. They’re counting on you backing off. But if you go in and blast those two ketches, that’ll give the Sarpi the chance to ignite those cannons! He can blast that destroyer into space fragments! Then all that’s left is for you and your men to board the Cleeda and take down the remaining Tra’Mell.” She gasped for breath and waited for the Vadris to make his decision. He continued to waver, leading her to press one more time. “Your element of surprise is shrinking with every heartbeat.”

3. Sov snorted in amusement, but behind him she saw Duren’s hooded expression. She tried to read him, but his father’s mix of emotions were blaring into her head like fire alarms, preventing her from receiving him. Resigned for the moment, she obediently allowed the Coltrosstian to manhandle her until they reached the brig, where he shoved her into a cell adjacent to the Vadris’s.

4. Duren saw his scowl reflected in the glass. He couldn’t explain why he was starting to think this, but a nagging thought had begun to bury itself into his brain. The thought that his father had no intention of letting his son and rightful heir assume the title of Sarpi. That maybe Sov was priming someone else to take over the leadership of Coltross. Someone who would continue to rule over the land with the same unforgiving iron fist because the Sarpi knew his son would not.

5. “I can’t,” Lhora responded. “That’s basically all I heard. That the Sarpi had made some kind of agreement with the Tra’Mell, but he didn’t elaborate on it. But I can tell you this.” She turned around in her seat. “I was in the audience chamber when the Esstika met with the Sarpi, the Sarpen, and several of his Vadrises. Sov made it clear he was there to discuss the Tra’Mell’s foray into our southern regions. He insinuated that he and the Esstika should join forces in order to expel them from the planet, but nothing further was said. They had dinner, and afterwards supposedly chose to retire for the night back on their ship. I finished my shift and went to the kitchen to eat. When I was done, I was heading back to my barracks when I encountered the Sarpen. He told me he’d chosen to take up the Esstika’s invitation to spend the night in the guest wing.” She dropped her gaze, shaking her head. “The next thing I remember is waking up on the Sarpi’s ship, and they were on their way back to Coltross. I was told I was their leverage, but I didn’t know what that meant at the time.”

6. Lhora hastened to reassure him. “No. We don’t control emotions. Forget what you’ve been told, or what the Coltrosstians believe, those stories aren’t true. We read emotions. We sense them. We listen to your heart, to the blood pumping through your veins, and we study the play of your muscles in your face. We observe your eyes, for through them we can almost see what’s on your mind. And we hear your voice. Every inflection, the tone, the volume. We can’t control how you feel, but we know if what’s spoken is the truth or a lie. We perceive misdirection and misinformation, as well as when a partial truth is spoken because some of it has been omitted.” She shook her head. “I’ve known how you felt about me ever since you came to the dungeon. I know you haven’t lied to me since you approached me in the Sarpi’s brig. Do you blame me for not telling you the truth about me, when I was afraid it would change the way you feel about me?”

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