Expectations: Neither Friend, Nor Foe
Series: Expectations
Adventure Seven: Neither Friend, Nor Foe Part 1 of 7
Author: Aquariuslover
Pairings: Yunjae, KyuWook
Rating: R
Genre: Crossover, Science Fiction, Tragedy, Angst
Beta: unicornsinger
A/N: This story is inspired by Star Trek. The crew of the Expectations will be made up of members of DBSK and Super Junior. Instead of chapters the story will be broken up in adventures.
Summary: The crew encounters a mysterious stranger and everything changes. Life aboard the Star Ship Expectations will never be the same as secrets unfold, sacrifices are made, and lives hang in the balance.
Prior Adventures
Neither Friend, Nor Foe
Once upon a time she had smiled every day.
As a young innocent girl she had been able to find joy in almost everything, and she spread her joy with the power of her smile. She had lived a pampered life, full of understanding, full of love, and full of kindness. Like all children who are cherished deeply, she knew very little of fear.
Her parents were peacemakers, and they stressed the importance of understanding to their beloved daughter. She grew up admiring her parents, and with a fervent desire to continue their work. To work for a more peaceful universe, and to share her smile with all she encountered.
But that world was lost to her.
As the much older man frantically thrust into her, nearing his climax, she tried to remember the last time she had smiled. Had it been as long as a year ago?
The man’s breathing increased, wheezing into her ear, and he stiffened as he expelled his seed into her much used body. The man then collapsed against her, pushing her into the large, round hay bale she had been leaning against.
“Sorry,” he said after a few minutes, pulling out of her and trying to find the strength in his legs to stand. “I really…thank you.”
She turned around, straightened her dress and looked at the man, and thought that if she did still smile, she might have smiled for him. “You will keep your promise?”
“Yes, Miss Sulli…yes, I will see he gets a good proper grave. I won’t toss him in the river,” the groundskeeper assured her.
Tears filled her eyes as she thought of the body lying on the river’s bank. “He was from my world…my far, far, far away world,” she said softly, suddenly feeling the need to explain.
“He never said anything…he was too injured, but I bet he was mighty nice,” the groundskeeper said as he pulled up his pants.
Sulli wiped her eyes and sniffled. “He was very smart…my cousin…she was always talking about how smart he was.”
“You can visit his grave; nobody will ever know…it will be our secret,” the groundskeeper assured the distraught woman…child.
“Yes, I can visit his grave…the last piece of my world,” Sulli said, closing her eyes.
The groundskeeper looked nervously up at the mansion in the distance. “Miss Sulli, shouldn’t you be going? I will bury him tomorrow morning…I promise. I keep my word. A deal is a deal.”
She nodded her head and opened her eyes. “Yes, I need to clean up before the master calls for me tonight,” she told him, and started limping away.
The groundskeeper watched as the beautiful girl dragged her dead leg behind her, and he felt a deep sympathy for her. “Miss Sulli in your world…there wasn’t people like the master was there?”
“No,” she told him without turning around. “In my world the…the good people were strong, and a man like our master could never have existed there.”
************
“I think something happened between the two of them.”
Kyuhyun looked up from his breakfast of rice and fruit to look at his husband, who had his gaze locked on Siwon and Sungmin. “Huh?”
“I sense something between the two of them…there is awkwardness there that didn’t use to be there,” Ryeowook informed Kyuhyun as they ate in the mess hall. They both watched as Siwon and Sungmin walked off in different directions. The two men had accidently run into each other at the food replicators and pleasantly greeted each other, but then quickly left in opposite directions.
Kyuhyun rolled his eyes at his matchmaking husband. “I really don’t think Siwon swings that way, and usually, I can tell.”
“What if he can’t help it? What if he fell in love with Sungmin as person…not as a gender?” Ryeowook asked earnestly.
“You know, if you were having sex with me, you wouldn’t be so obsessed with other people’s sex lives.”
“Don’t even start with me. I am not interested in their sex lives. I’m interested in love.”
“I love you.”
Ryeowook sighed, exasperated, and informed his husband, “You have 194 days to go…deal with it.”
Kyuhyun tilted his head back and whined, “Since we are nearing the half way point, I should get a reward or something.”
“For goodness sakes,” Ryeowook groaned.
“I am serious! You could touch me or something,” Kyuhyun hissed into Ryeowook’s ear. “It wouldn’t kill you.”
Ryeowook cringed and leaned away from Kyuhyun and hissed back at him, “Touch yourself.”
“I do, but it isn’t the same,” Kyuhyun informed him, not amused.
Ryeowook clamped his hand over his ears and sang, “Lalala, I’m not listening to you. Lalala, I’m not listening to you, Lalala.”
“Oh, stop it!” Kyuhyun snapped, pulling Ryeowook’s hands away from his ears.
“I see you two are as mature as you always were,” Commander Yoochun stated as he sat down at the table facing them.
“I am very mature,” Commander Cho informed Yoochun, letting go of Ryeowook.
“Well, I’m not feeling very mature today, so let’s trade places. I will beam down to Trysor, and you can have the bridge,” Yoochun told him, not bothering to hide his apprehension.
“Absolutely not; I get to feel the real ground under my feet this time. Plus, if they want to offer me delicious food to eat, I will just have to enjoy it,” Kyuhyun replied. “You will just have to take the bridge today.”
“I can’t believe Yunho took today off…he’s the captain; he can’t take today off,” Yoochun grumbled.
“You know as well as I do, he isn’t really taking the day off…he is incapable of it,” Kyuhyun told Yoochun.
“He should, though…everybody should. It’s good to take a break, and I hope Jae keeps him distracted from the business of running the ship,” Ryeowook told them.
Kyuhyun smiled and rubbed his hands together. “In 194 days, Dr. Cho and I are going to take a week off.”
“We will see,” Ryeowook answered doubtfully. “Somebody has to last 194 days first.”
“Oh, I will last…and then it’s going to be a week of Cho martial bliss,” Kyuhyun winked and told his husband, full of confidence.
“Sungmin is completely capable of watching the bridge,” Yoochun whined, ignoring the Chos. “I think he should watch it while I stay in engineering where I belong.”
Ryeowook looked to the table where Sungmin, Junsu, Donghae and Eunhyuk sat, and looked back at Yoochun, and asked, “Are you ever going to tell us what you did to make…Junsu hate you so much?”
“You think he hates me?” Yoochun asked anxiously.
The Chos shared a knowing look with each other, before Kyuhyun answered the man’s question, “Well, before he just tried to avoid you, and now…it seems like he doesn’t like you very much.”
“What did you do to him?” Ryeowook demanded.
Yoochun winced and then just admitted it, “When I was in my female form, I made a pass at him.”
“What kind of pass?” Kyuhyun asked, noticing Yoochun’s discomfort.
“Well, we came very close to sealing the deal,” Yoochun confessed.
“But you didn’t…did you?” Ryeowook asked.
Yoochun shook his head. “I said something he didn’t like. He freaked out on me and ran off.”
Ryeowook’s eyes narrowed. “What did you say?”
“I was admiring his ass…and he just lost it.”
“I am honestly impressed that you even got that far,” Kyuhyun admitted with awe. “I mean he’s so…decent.”
“So, you almost tricked Junsu into having sex with you, while you were in your female form…you’re disgusting!” Ryeowook declared, glaring at Yoochun now. “He needs love! He doesn’t need some ass-obsessed pervert!”
“I made sure he knew from the start it was about sex and nothing else, and it would have been great,” Yoochun explained, not the least bit offended by Ryeowook’s outburst.
“I am curious; when the machine changed you into females…did it increase your sex drive or something?” Kyuhyun asked, and then reached over and wrapped his arm around Ryeowook, “Dr. Cho here jumped in bed with me, and was more than willing.”
Ryeowook gritted his teeth, and glared at Kyuhyun for bringing up such a humiliating memory.
“Really? So did you two?” Commander Yoochun asked, intrigued.
Ryeowook snorted and informed the other man, “As if. He couldn’t very well get it up if he was too busy hiding under the covers from all my scary, girly parts.”
Yoochun laughed loudly, and Kyuhyun turned absolutely red as Ryeowook continued, “It’s sad that I wasted such an opportunity on him. I should have searched out other…braver men.”
“Yeah…well, I don’t even think so!” Kyuhyun sputtered out. “I could have gotten it up…your breath was just bad.”
Ryeowook rolled his eyes at his husband. “Excuses, Excuses.”
“It wasn’t an excuse, it was horrible!”
“It’s shame you missed the opportunity, Ryeowook. I mean, I prefer my male body, but having sex as a woman wasn’t unpleasant. It was quite enjoyable.”
Kyuhyun and Ryeowook both turned back to Yoochun now. “You said you didn’t,” the couple said at the same time.
Yoochun smiled. “Oh, I didn’t with Junsu. I found a more willing partner…and when I say willing…I mean he went all night long. The man has some serious stamina…I enjoyed myself immensely.”
Kyuhyun darted his eyes at Ryeowook, whose mouth had fallen open as he gawked at Yoochun, and then asked, “So, was it only a one time thing?”
“Oh, we did it several times…actually, I lost count of how many times we did it that night, but it was only a one night thing. He isn’t attracted to men, and once the pleasant afterglow of my multiple, and I do mean multiple orgasms diminished…I’m not exactly attracted to him. It was just one night of hot sex,” Yoochun explained.
“Who was it?” Ryeowook couldn’t help but ask.
Yoochun cringed and looked back at the table where Junsu sat with his friends. “I think that’s a secret best left alone,” Yoochun told Ryeowook, with a tinge of regret seeping into his voice.
*******
“You are always so tight…fuck.”
Jaejoong, who was on all fours, pushed back toward Yunho, as his lover’s thrusting increased, slapping their bodies together. Jaejoong used his Joong powers, to enhance the pleasure he was experiencing, and amplified it ten fold, flooding the both of them with intense feelings of ecstasy.
Jaejoong cried out as Yunho reached underneath him, and took his hard, leaking cock in his hand. The mere touch was enough, and Jaejoong came, collapsing down on the bed. Yunho grabbed Jaejoong’s hips holding him up as his thrusting became harder, deeper and more desperate till he finally lost control of himself. Yunho’s body shuddered and Jaejoong soon felt sprouts of warm, thick fluid filling him up.
An exhausted Yunho fell on top of Jaejoong, pressing his lover deeper into the mattress.
“Will it always be like this?”
“Yes,” Jaejoong answered telepathically as he listened to his physically fit lover quickly recovering from the exertion. Yunho’s panting gave way to normal breathing, making Jaejoong sigh sadly…he loved to hear Yunho pant.
“I’m one lucky bastard,” Yunho declared in a husky voice, and then he started kissing the back of Jaejoong’s neck.
Jaejoong angled his neck, allowing Yunho more access. “You’re not a bastard, you’re a hero.”
“A hero?”
“Yes, my hero.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“I know.” Jaejoong whimpered in disappointment when Yunho pulled out of him and gently flipped him over on his back.
“You know what I know?” Yunho asked aloud in that same deep, husky voice, that made Jaejoong quiver all over inside.
“What?” Jaejoong asked, looking up into deeply admiring eyes.
“That the best day of my life was the day I found you. I might not have known it then…I didn’t know it, but it was. Everything the Guardian told us was true….I really believe that we are meant to be,” Yunho told his lover, unable to hide the blush that spread out across his cheeks.
Jaejoong’s heart swelled and he reached up a hand and cupped Yunho’s face. “You are always so sappy after sex.”
“I am not.”
“Are too.”
Yunho bent down burying his face in Jaejoong’s chest. “Maybe a little,” he conceded, embarrassed.
Jaejoong laughed, wrapping his arms around his mate and hugging him tightly against him. “One hundred and eighty Earth days since we bonded.”
“The Cho’s obsession with numbers...influencing you?”
“Maybe, but I like the thought of holding anniversaries sacred.”
Yunho lifted up and looked down at his lover’s face. “And here I let our Hundred Days Anniversary just slip away.”
Jaejoong stretched his arms out over his head. “I’ll forgive you this once, since you are all mine today.”
“I am always all yours.” Yunho replied as he slid back, caressing Jaejoong’s ass, motioning for his lover to lift up.
Jaejoong reached down underneath his thighs, pulling them back towards his chest as Yunho pushed back inside of him. “Yes, you are.”
Yunho chuckled, tugging the contented man up to straddle his lap.
Jaejoong was completely relaxed, and he easily took all of Yunho inside him. “This is good,” Jaejoong purred in approval as he braced his arms on Yunho’s shoulders and slowly slid up and down.
“Mmmmm,” Yunho concurred as he found his lover’s lips, letting Jaejoong control the pace.
A much unwanted thought occurred to Jaejoong as he broke from the kiss. “I hate myself so much for remembering this.”
“What?” Yunho asked mentally as his hands massaged his lover’s back.
Jaejoong lowered his head to rest it on Yunho’s shoulder, stopping his movements, and whimpered in disappointment. “Isn’t there somewhere you have to be?”
“Oh, crap!” Yunho exclaimed.
****************
“Captain, whatever feelings of guilt you are experiencing are completely illogical,” Changmin told his father, not bothering to hide his exasperation.
Yunho resisted the immature urge to stick his tongue out at his son. “I always see away teams off. Don’t I, Lieutenant Lee?”
“That you do, Sir,” Lieutenant Lee Donghae, the transporter chief, told them from his position behind the transporter panel.
“So, see, your accusation that I was feeling guilty for not going is inaccurate,” Yunho informed his son.
“But it kills you not to go,” Commander Cho said knowingly. “We will be careful.”
“I know…and Trysor is our ally,” Yunho reminded himself. “It’s a routine mission.”
Changmin frowned in dislike. “I would have hoped we would not have had to return so soon; that they have already managed to undo our corrections to their machinery this soon is troublesome.”
“They just need some help with some calculations; it won’t take us five minutes,” Kyuhyun pointed out.
“And then we can focus on brokering another deal with them for more food,” Shindong told them as he stepped up onto the transporter platform.
“Yes, more food,” Jaejoong, who was standing beside the captain, agreed. He had developed a true fondness for cooking, and amazingly enough, food appeared to be the way to his son’s heart.
Changmin nodded his head in agreement as he stepped up onto the transporter platform. “More food would be greatly appreciated.”
Yunho smiled at his son and asked, “Do you always think of food?”
Changmin looked down at his father and said, “No, only 23.7 percent of my day is spent thinking of food.”
Yunho snorted. “I do believe you are fudging the numbers now.”
“I do not fudge,” Changmin told Yunho, while arching his left eyebrow.
Commander Cho laughed at them both as he got on the transporter platform, standing between Changmin and Shindong. “We will be back in no time; hopefully, with lots of food.”
Yunho smiled at them and then turned to Donghae and ordered, “Energize.” Yunho looked back at the platform in time to see the three men being transported away.
*************
Kyuhyun, Shindong, and Changmin materialized in the private gardens outside the capitol building of Trysor, and were greeted immediately by the Trysorion president and his diplomatic party.
“Welcome to Trysor! It is so good to see you all again,” the Trysorion President said, greeting them, as he reached out his hand to shake Commander Cho’s hand.
Commander Cho smiled, taking the offered hand and shaking it firmly. “It’s good to be back, Mr. President. I regretted that I was unable to spend more time on the planet last time we were here.”
The President smiled and responded, “Hopefully, you will be able to take the time to enjoy our beautiful world this visit. What do you think about our private gardens?”
“They are breathtaking, and it is my sincere wish to get to explore more of your beautiful world,” Kyuhyun answered as he took in the flowering trees and countless flowers that filled the garden. Kyuhyun then motioned toward Changmin, and Shindong. “You know Consultant Shindong and Lieutenant Changmin.”
“Of course, we owe a world of debt to Shindong for introducing our two peoples to each other. Lieutenant Changmin was instrumental in our technology advancement…” the president trailed off when he noticed that Changmin’s eyes were glued to somebody standing behind him.
Kyuhyun and Shindong followed Changmin’s gaze till it landed on what Kyuhyun could honestly say was one of the most attractive men he had ever seen. The man had flawless skin, dark penetrating blue eyes, and dark auburn hair. He wore long blue robes that clung perfectly to him showing off his slender body. The man smiled back at them and started walking toward them.
“Oh, yes, he wished to meet you,” the president explained, without introducing them properly.
The man walked up to stand directly in front of the three members of the away team. “Yes, when I heard the crew of the magnificent Expectations was going to visit…I couldn’t help myself. I had to catch a glimpse.”
“The magnificent Expectations…you are much too kind,” Commander Cho told him.
“Nonsense, your great acts of daring and kindness are wildly known throughout this part of the galaxy. The ship that answers to no evil warlord, but only to its own conscience…it’s quite a remarkable concept,” the man told them.
Shindong studied the man intently, and asked, “You are not from this planet?”
The man laughed as if the mere thought was simply ridiculous. “No, I am just a visitor. There are a couple things here I need to collect, and then I will be on my way.”
The president frowned for a moment, but soon a smile replaced the frown. “You will be greatly missed.”
The man, whose eyes were locked on Changmin, did not turn around and face the president when he addressed him, “You are kind, but my time here is short. Actually, I’m being called away at this very moment,” the man informed them as he stared off at another man a short distance away that was waving for him. The man then gracefully bowed to each of the crew members. “It was a great honor to meet you…it was very informative.”
The crew members watched uneasily as the beautiful man walked off to join another tall, thin man who was standing alone at the edge of the garden.
“He’s too pretty,” Shindong blurted out loudly.
The president nodded his head in agreement. “He is a vision of beauty. My wife swoons whenever he is near.”
Commander Cho turned to face the Trysorion President. “Mr. President, if you would excuse us just for a moment, I need to discuss something with my team.”
“Of course,” the president told them.
“It shouldn’t take long,” the Commander told the president as he motioned Shindong and Changmin away.
After they were out of hearing distance, Shindong whispered, “I am serious…he’s too pretty. Something isn’t right.”
“I have to agree,” Kyuhyun said softly, and then said what was really bothering him. “He reminds me of Jaejoong.”
Changmin, who was still watching the man, pointed out, “They do have similar hair styles. They are also both very pleasing to the eye.”
“It’s more then how their bangs hang in the front…it’s an aura,” Kyuhyun insisted. “There is a confidence about him.”
Changmin nodded his head. “I was just pointing out a fact…I do not disagree with your assessment.”
“It’s almost like he’s toying with us,” Kyuhyun added. “I also do not like how we are isolated in this garden.”
Shindong swallowed nervously. “If he is a Joong...then maybe he came in the hopes of seeing Jaejoong?”
“Then why not ask for Jaejoong?” Kyuhyun questioned. “They knew Jaejoong wasn’t beaming down with us.”
“Joongs don’t exactly go around advertising their presence,” Shindong reminded him.
Changmin forced his eyes away from the man and told them, “I believe it would be best if we left this planet.”
“I agree; all my survival instincts are telling me to run,” Shindong told them.
Kyuhyun nodded his head in agreement and reached for his insignia.
******************
“Why are they still conscious? Also why are the president and his men still here?” Seung-hyun asked as the man walking up to him.
The man stopped beside Seung-hyun and sighed. “How are they supposed to call and tell their captain the good news if they are unconscious? The president and his men are perfectly under my control.”
“You only need one of them to be awake for that,” Seung-hyun reminded him as the both of them watched the three members of the Expectation’s crew. “My Lord will not be happy if you let this opportunity slip away…must I remind you that your happiness is directly connected to his?”
The man’s expression darkened. “No, you do not. I am here to warn you. You will have only one opportunity to get that necklace on him. Jaejoong’s body will quickly adapt to the gas in the room, and if he gets the upper hand, then we are done for.”
“Can you not take him in a fight?”
“No, I can not take him in a fight. Jaejoong is very powerful, or he would not have been able to resist your vicious master’s advances for so long. If he thinks his mate is in danger, he will kill you with barely a thought…and I do mean thought. There will be no reaching for weapons…he will wish it, and it will be done.”
Seung-hyun paled. “Then, what do we do if he adapts to the gas too quickly?”
“You shoot the mate, he will be flooded by his mate’s pain and can be easily handled then…if you act fast,” the man explained.
“My Lord left very specific instructions that he wanted them both alive.”
“Then aim for his leg. I do not care where you shoot-” the man stopped abruptly, walking quickly toward the three men.
“What’s going on?”
“They are on to us,” the man informed Seung-hyun.
Seung-hyun watched as Shindong and Kyuhyun collapsed to the ground, unconscious, but the tallest of the three, the one named Changmin, remained standing, his eyes locked on the man approaching him.
Seung-hyun observed what appeared to be a mental battle between the two of them. The one named Changmin’s hand jerked, as he tried to will it to reach for the badge on his uniform. “I am going to require some assistance,” the man yelled.
Seung-hyun pulled out the carefully concealed gun from the back of his pants and aimed and fired. The one named Changmin crumbled to the ground.
“Violent idiot!” the man screamed and ran toward the wounded Changmin.
Seung-hyun quickly followed him to the wounded man’s side. “You couldn’t control him. He was resisting you.”
“So, you shot him?”
“Yes, we can not allow anything to jeopardize the plan.”
The man put pressure on the wound to Changmin’s stomach and cursed the blood flowing out of the younger man. “I hate this! I hate this so much! It’s wrong! You people are immoral, and your master is an evil bastard!”
“And yet, you agreed to help us.”
The man let go of Changmin and stood up, clenching his fists which were covered in Changmin’s blood. “I didn’t have a choice!”
Seung-hyun smiled back at the man knowingly, and brutally told him, “No, you had a choice…and this is what you chose. You chose your happiness over theirs.”
The man sank back down to the ground beside Changmin and applied more pressure to his wound. “And I fear I will be doomed to pay for that choice for the rest of my life.”
Seung-hyun ignored the man’s self-indulgent words and looked down at the fatal wound to the abdomen. “I used a maze gun…your applying pressure will not save him. Nothing will.”
The man looked down at the wound that continued to ooze blood. “That gun was a horrible creation if there ever was one.”
“Why was he able to resist you?”
The man, who was facing away from Seung-hyun, let a small smile grace his lips for just a second. “There are some humans who are completely esper nil and immune to any kind of telepathy or empathic powers.”
“Like Hangeng’s newest slave?” Seung-hyun asked.
“I do not keep up with Hangeng’s slaves, but I am sure his wife would be drawn to such a person. For a Joong…they are very refreshing people, and full of mystery,” the man explained.
“Then I apologize for depriving you of such a prize.”
The man stood up glaring at Seung-hyun. “Unlike that monster that owns you…I do not collect slaves. I’m not like you people!”
“And yet…here you are.”
The man fumed, but controlled his anger. “We…have to hurry. If the commander does not contact the ship very soon, the ship will be on guard.” The man then turned toward the president and his men and sent them a mental command to come and retrieve the bodies.
***************
Kyuhyun awoke to find himself in a small room devoid of any furniture, and standing above him was the beautiful man from earlier.
“Ah, Commander you are awake,” the man told him. “If you would please get up, I am going to require your assistance.”
Kyuhyun climbed to his feet. “I don’t think I am going to offer you any assistance.”
The man smiled at him. “Oh, I fear I didn’t make myself clear. I didn’t say anything about you willingly providing it, did I?”
“Who are you? Where is the rest of my team?” Commander Kyuhyun demanded, looking around the room.
The beautiful man smiled at him and informed him, “You must forgive me for not introducing myself properly earlier. My name is Hyun Joong.”
“Joong,” Kyuhyun repeated as he reached for his insignia, but almost immediately his hand came to a complete halt.
“Yes, your chubby friend was right…I am much too pretty.”
“You are manipulating us? This was all a trick? I didn’t think Joongs…were like this. Jae would not do this.”
“Jaejoong has been very gentle with you and the other members on your ship,” Hyun Joong told Kyuhyun. “I do not have that option.”
“I don’t understand…why are you doing this…what are you doing?”
“I have been ordered to hand over your captain and Jaejoong to a monster that you might refer to as the Warlord ZhouMi. He is blackmailing me,” Hyun Joong told him.
Fear gripped Kyuhyun at the mention of ZhouMi’s name. He had never heard anything remotely nice about the man. Kyuhyun swallowed nervously, because he had no doubts that the Joong was capable of doing exactly what was demanded of him. “Where are the Lieutenant and Shindong?”
“They are in a cargo bay about to get loaded onto a merchant’s ship…where they will be sent to a planet of my choosing, and you will soon join them,” Hyun Joong explained, studying Kyuhyun intently.
“For what purpose?”
Hyun Joong ignored Kyuhyun’s question and told him, “I regretfully have to inform you that your Lieutenant Jung…the son of your captain, has been injured.”
“Is he alright?” Kyuhyun demanded, taking a step toward the other man.
The Joong shook his head as he narrowed his eyes and peered into Kyuhyun’s mind. “No, human could survive such a wound...but I’m sure he is quite the rapid healer. Isn’t he?”
“What did you do to him? No human can survive it? What kind of wound? We have to get him back to the ship! Ryeowook can help him,” Kyuhyun shouted at the Joong. “You can’t just let him die.”
“Listen to me,” Hyun Joong snapped and grabbed Kyuhyun by the shoulders. “No, human can survive such a wound…and he isn’t going back to your ship.”
Kyuhyun pushed the Joong away. “You are going to hand Yunho and Jaejoong over to ZhouMi…and you are going to let Changmin die? Are you sure you are not the monster?”
The other man from earlier walked into the room, clapping his hands. “These humans are quite perceptive and noble, aren’t they?”
Hyun Joong continued to stare at Kyuhyun, not bothering to look at Seung-hyun. “Yes, they are very different. They wouldn’t kill, rape and torture on your master’s orders.”
“No, they wouldn’t; they are not like you and me,” Seung-hyun replied. “Don’t forget your hands will never wash clean after today.”
“We must contact the ship now, we are running out of time,” Hyun Joong told them, closing his eyes.
*************
“What happened to today belonging to me?”
“I just need to look over this one report, and then I will be all yours again,” Yunho promised as they entered the bridge.
Jaejoong stared after Yunho as he headed for the Captain’s Ready Room. “Whatever, you just missed the bridge.”
“Five minutes.” Yunho stopped at the entrance to his office and turned around to face Jaejoong. “Aren’t you coming with me?”
“No, I think I will hang out on the bridge with Yoochun for a bit,” Jaejoong said with a devilish smile, as he felt Commander Yoochun internally wince at his words.
Yunho shrugged and entered his office, and Jaejoong practically pranced to the center of the bridge, where he plopped down in his councilor’s chair beside Commander Yoochun and mischievously told him, “This must be so awkward for you.”
“I would rather be in engineering, but one does what they have to,” Yoochun replied, avoiding looking at the Joong.
Jaejoong laughed out loud. “It’s hard to give up what you really want…to have to settle for seconds, isn’t it?”
Yoochun mentally cursed the day that Yunho got himself attached to the telepath sitting beside him. “One does what he has to do.”
Jaejoong rolled his eyes and stared at the ensigns sitting in front of him, debating on whether he should expand his game. Torturing Commander Yoochun was fun, but...
“Don’t,” Commander Yoochun ordered, disturbing Jaejoong from his thoughts by reaching out and taking Jaejoong’s hand.
Jaejoong jerked his hand away from Commander Yoochun, but scrutinized the man’s feelings. “It’s a terrible feeling, isn’t it?”
“Which one?” Commander Yoochun asked in a soft voice.
Jaejoong got up from the chair and smiled unsympathetically down at Commander Yoochun and sent him a telepathic message. “One feeling is only horrible because you refuse to embrace it. The feelings of regret that you suffer from now…will only grow.”
“Okay, I am done,” Yunho declared, stepping out of his office. “Commander, you have the bridge ‘til Commander Cho returns.”
“Yes, sir,” Commander Yoochun agreed.
“No!” Jaejoong cried out in a huffy tone as Ensign Choi stepped up to Yunho with purposeful intent.
“Behave,” Yunho sent to Jaejoong and then asked the ensign standing in front of him, “What is it, Ensign?”
“Commander Cho is calling from the planet and is requesting to speak with you,” Ensign Choi told the captain.
“Why didn’t my…” Yunho trailed off, looking down at his insignia, and then to a very guilty-looking Jaejoong.
“You turned my insignia off!”
“It’s supposed to be my day!”
“I am the captain! You can’t turn my insignia off!”
“Like they couldn’t find you if they needed you badly enough.”
Yunho glared daggers at Jaejoong and turned his insignia on and tapped it. “Commander, what is going on?”
“Captain! We have wonderful news. The Trysorion people are reporting that a couple weeks ago, some space traders that deal with the Warlord Hangeng were here, and they have news of our missing crew.”
“Do they know where they are?” Yunho asked his hopes soaring high.
Commander Kyuhyun’s happily replied. “Sir, apparently Hangeng sold the ambassadors’ daughter to a rich merchant that works with Warlord ZhouMi, and Lieutenant Choi is rumored to still be with Hangeng. There are others on the planet the president thinks that might know more…but they are unwilling to share all their information.”
“Sounds like I need to pay them a visit.”
“For once Jaejoong…I couldn’t agree more.”
“Commander, please tell the Trysorion President that I will be right down,” Yunho told the commander.
“Yes, sir,” Commander Kyuhyun responded.
“Captain, out,” Yunho said, ending his connection with Commander Cho and turning to face Ensign Choi. “We will get both your sister and your cousin back.”
Young Ensign Choi, whose eyes were suddenly moist, nodded his head at the captain. “I know you will, Sir.”
“And that will be a very good day,” Commander Yoochun said walking up to stand beside the captain.
“Yes, it will be,” Yunho agreed and turned to Commander Yoochun. “Have Ensign Kangin meet us in the transporter room immediately.”
“Yes, Sir,” Yoochun replied, as Yunho headed for the lift with Jaejoong at his side. “Good Luck, Captain.”
Yunho entered the elevator, and turned around to face Commander Yoochun. “Hopefully, luck will be on our side.”
Adventure Seven: Neither Friend, Nor Foe Part 1 of 7
Author: Aquariuslover
Pairings: Yunjae, KyuWook
Rating: R
Genre: Crossover, Science Fiction, Tragedy, Angst
Beta: unicornsinger
A/N: This story is inspired by Star Trek. The crew of the Expectations will be made up of members of DBSK and Super Junior. Instead of chapters the story will be broken up in adventures.
Summary: The crew encounters a mysterious stranger and everything changes. Life aboard the Star Ship Expectations will never be the same as secrets unfold, sacrifices are made, and lives hang in the balance.
Prior Adventures
Neither Friend, Nor Foe
Once upon a time she had smiled every day.
As a young innocent girl she had been able to find joy in almost everything, and she spread her joy with the power of her smile. She had lived a pampered life, full of understanding, full of love, and full of kindness. Like all children who are cherished deeply, she knew very little of fear.
Her parents were peacemakers, and they stressed the importance of understanding to their beloved daughter. She grew up admiring her parents, and with a fervent desire to continue their work. To work for a more peaceful universe, and to share her smile with all she encountered.
But that world was lost to her.
As the much older man frantically thrust into her, nearing his climax, she tried to remember the last time she had smiled. Had it been as long as a year ago?
The man’s breathing increased, wheezing into her ear, and he stiffened as he expelled his seed into her much used body. The man then collapsed against her, pushing her into the large, round hay bale she had been leaning against.
“Sorry,” he said after a few minutes, pulling out of her and trying to find the strength in his legs to stand. “I really…thank you.”
She turned around, straightened her dress and looked at the man, and thought that if she did still smile, she might have smiled for him. “You will keep your promise?”
“Yes, Miss Sulli…yes, I will see he gets a good proper grave. I won’t toss him in the river,” the groundskeeper assured her.
Tears filled her eyes as she thought of the body lying on the river’s bank. “He was from my world…my far, far, far away world,” she said softly, suddenly feeling the need to explain.
“He never said anything…he was too injured, but I bet he was mighty nice,” the groundskeeper said as he pulled up his pants.
Sulli wiped her eyes and sniffled. “He was very smart…my cousin…she was always talking about how smart he was.”
“You can visit his grave; nobody will ever know…it will be our secret,” the groundskeeper assured the distraught woman…child.
“Yes, I can visit his grave…the last piece of my world,” Sulli said, closing her eyes.
The groundskeeper looked nervously up at the mansion in the distance. “Miss Sulli, shouldn’t you be going? I will bury him tomorrow morning…I promise. I keep my word. A deal is a deal.”
She nodded her head and opened her eyes. “Yes, I need to clean up before the master calls for me tonight,” she told him, and started limping away.
The groundskeeper watched as the beautiful girl dragged her dead leg behind her, and he felt a deep sympathy for her. “Miss Sulli in your world…there wasn’t people like the master was there?”
“No,” she told him without turning around. “In my world the…the good people were strong, and a man like our master could never have existed there.”
************
“I think something happened between the two of them.”
Kyuhyun looked up from his breakfast of rice and fruit to look at his husband, who had his gaze locked on Siwon and Sungmin. “Huh?”
“I sense something between the two of them…there is awkwardness there that didn’t use to be there,” Ryeowook informed Kyuhyun as they ate in the mess hall. They both watched as Siwon and Sungmin walked off in different directions. The two men had accidently run into each other at the food replicators and pleasantly greeted each other, but then quickly left in opposite directions.
Kyuhyun rolled his eyes at his matchmaking husband. “I really don’t think Siwon swings that way, and usually, I can tell.”
“What if he can’t help it? What if he fell in love with Sungmin as person…not as a gender?” Ryeowook asked earnestly.
“You know, if you were having sex with me, you wouldn’t be so obsessed with other people’s sex lives.”
“Don’t even start with me. I am not interested in their sex lives. I’m interested in love.”
“I love you.”
Ryeowook sighed, exasperated, and informed his husband, “You have 194 days to go…deal with it.”
Kyuhyun tilted his head back and whined, “Since we are nearing the half way point, I should get a reward or something.”
“For goodness sakes,” Ryeowook groaned.
“I am serious! You could touch me or something,” Kyuhyun hissed into Ryeowook’s ear. “It wouldn’t kill you.”
Ryeowook cringed and leaned away from Kyuhyun and hissed back at him, “Touch yourself.”
“I do, but it isn’t the same,” Kyuhyun informed him, not amused.
Ryeowook clamped his hand over his ears and sang, “Lalala, I’m not listening to you. Lalala, I’m not listening to you, Lalala.”
“Oh, stop it!” Kyuhyun snapped, pulling Ryeowook’s hands away from his ears.
“I see you two are as mature as you always were,” Commander Yoochun stated as he sat down at the table facing them.
“I am very mature,” Commander Cho informed Yoochun, letting go of Ryeowook.
“Well, I’m not feeling very mature today, so let’s trade places. I will beam down to Trysor, and you can have the bridge,” Yoochun told him, not bothering to hide his apprehension.
“Absolutely not; I get to feel the real ground under my feet this time. Plus, if they want to offer me delicious food to eat, I will just have to enjoy it,” Kyuhyun replied. “You will just have to take the bridge today.”
“I can’t believe Yunho took today off…he’s the captain; he can’t take today off,” Yoochun grumbled.
“You know as well as I do, he isn’t really taking the day off…he is incapable of it,” Kyuhyun told Yoochun.
“He should, though…everybody should. It’s good to take a break, and I hope Jae keeps him distracted from the business of running the ship,” Ryeowook told them.
Kyuhyun smiled and rubbed his hands together. “In 194 days, Dr. Cho and I are going to take a week off.”
“We will see,” Ryeowook answered doubtfully. “Somebody has to last 194 days first.”
“Oh, I will last…and then it’s going to be a week of Cho martial bliss,” Kyuhyun winked and told his husband, full of confidence.
“Sungmin is completely capable of watching the bridge,” Yoochun whined, ignoring the Chos. “I think he should watch it while I stay in engineering where I belong.”
Ryeowook looked to the table where Sungmin, Junsu, Donghae and Eunhyuk sat, and looked back at Yoochun, and asked, “Are you ever going to tell us what you did to make…Junsu hate you so much?”
“You think he hates me?” Yoochun asked anxiously.
The Chos shared a knowing look with each other, before Kyuhyun answered the man’s question, “Well, before he just tried to avoid you, and now…it seems like he doesn’t like you very much.”
“What did you do to him?” Ryeowook demanded.
Yoochun winced and then just admitted it, “When I was in my female form, I made a pass at him.”
“What kind of pass?” Kyuhyun asked, noticing Yoochun’s discomfort.
“Well, we came very close to sealing the deal,” Yoochun confessed.
“But you didn’t…did you?” Ryeowook asked.
Yoochun shook his head. “I said something he didn’t like. He freaked out on me and ran off.”
Ryeowook’s eyes narrowed. “What did you say?”
“I was admiring his ass…and he just lost it.”
“I am honestly impressed that you even got that far,” Kyuhyun admitted with awe. “I mean he’s so…decent.”
“So, you almost tricked Junsu into having sex with you, while you were in your female form…you’re disgusting!” Ryeowook declared, glaring at Yoochun now. “He needs love! He doesn’t need some ass-obsessed pervert!”
“I made sure he knew from the start it was about sex and nothing else, and it would have been great,” Yoochun explained, not the least bit offended by Ryeowook’s outburst.
“I am curious; when the machine changed you into females…did it increase your sex drive or something?” Kyuhyun asked, and then reached over and wrapped his arm around Ryeowook, “Dr. Cho here jumped in bed with me, and was more than willing.”
Ryeowook gritted his teeth, and glared at Kyuhyun for bringing up such a humiliating memory.
“Really? So did you two?” Commander Yoochun asked, intrigued.
Ryeowook snorted and informed the other man, “As if. He couldn’t very well get it up if he was too busy hiding under the covers from all my scary, girly parts.”
Yoochun laughed loudly, and Kyuhyun turned absolutely red as Ryeowook continued, “It’s sad that I wasted such an opportunity on him. I should have searched out other…braver men.”
“Yeah…well, I don’t even think so!” Kyuhyun sputtered out. “I could have gotten it up…your breath was just bad.”
Ryeowook rolled his eyes at his husband. “Excuses, Excuses.”
“It wasn’t an excuse, it was horrible!”
“It’s shame you missed the opportunity, Ryeowook. I mean, I prefer my male body, but having sex as a woman wasn’t unpleasant. It was quite enjoyable.”
Kyuhyun and Ryeowook both turned back to Yoochun now. “You said you didn’t,” the couple said at the same time.
Yoochun smiled. “Oh, I didn’t with Junsu. I found a more willing partner…and when I say willing…I mean he went all night long. The man has some serious stamina…I enjoyed myself immensely.”
Kyuhyun darted his eyes at Ryeowook, whose mouth had fallen open as he gawked at Yoochun, and then asked, “So, was it only a one time thing?”
“Oh, we did it several times…actually, I lost count of how many times we did it that night, but it was only a one night thing. He isn’t attracted to men, and once the pleasant afterglow of my multiple, and I do mean multiple orgasms diminished…I’m not exactly attracted to him. It was just one night of hot sex,” Yoochun explained.
“Who was it?” Ryeowook couldn’t help but ask.
Yoochun cringed and looked back at the table where Junsu sat with his friends. “I think that’s a secret best left alone,” Yoochun told Ryeowook, with a tinge of regret seeping into his voice.
*******
“You are always so tight…fuck.”
Jaejoong, who was on all fours, pushed back toward Yunho, as his lover’s thrusting increased, slapping their bodies together. Jaejoong used his Joong powers, to enhance the pleasure he was experiencing, and amplified it ten fold, flooding the both of them with intense feelings of ecstasy.
Jaejoong cried out as Yunho reached underneath him, and took his hard, leaking cock in his hand. The mere touch was enough, and Jaejoong came, collapsing down on the bed. Yunho grabbed Jaejoong’s hips holding him up as his thrusting became harder, deeper and more desperate till he finally lost control of himself. Yunho’s body shuddered and Jaejoong soon felt sprouts of warm, thick fluid filling him up.
An exhausted Yunho fell on top of Jaejoong, pressing his lover deeper into the mattress.
“Will it always be like this?”
“Yes,” Jaejoong answered telepathically as he listened to his physically fit lover quickly recovering from the exertion. Yunho’s panting gave way to normal breathing, making Jaejoong sigh sadly…he loved to hear Yunho pant.
“I’m one lucky bastard,” Yunho declared in a husky voice, and then he started kissing the back of Jaejoong’s neck.
Jaejoong angled his neck, allowing Yunho more access. “You’re not a bastard, you’re a hero.”
“A hero?”
“Yes, my hero.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“I know.” Jaejoong whimpered in disappointment when Yunho pulled out of him and gently flipped him over on his back.
“You know what I know?” Yunho asked aloud in that same deep, husky voice, that made Jaejoong quiver all over inside.
“What?” Jaejoong asked, looking up into deeply admiring eyes.
“That the best day of my life was the day I found you. I might not have known it then…I didn’t know it, but it was. Everything the Guardian told us was true….I really believe that we are meant to be,” Yunho told his lover, unable to hide the blush that spread out across his cheeks.
Jaejoong’s heart swelled and he reached up a hand and cupped Yunho’s face. “You are always so sappy after sex.”
“I am not.”
“Are too.”
Yunho bent down burying his face in Jaejoong’s chest. “Maybe a little,” he conceded, embarrassed.
Jaejoong laughed, wrapping his arms around his mate and hugging him tightly against him. “One hundred and eighty Earth days since we bonded.”
“The Cho’s obsession with numbers...influencing you?”
“Maybe, but I like the thought of holding anniversaries sacred.”
Yunho lifted up and looked down at his lover’s face. “And here I let our Hundred Days Anniversary just slip away.”
Jaejoong stretched his arms out over his head. “I’ll forgive you this once, since you are all mine today.”
“I am always all yours.” Yunho replied as he slid back, caressing Jaejoong’s ass, motioning for his lover to lift up.
Jaejoong reached down underneath his thighs, pulling them back towards his chest as Yunho pushed back inside of him. “Yes, you are.”
Yunho chuckled, tugging the contented man up to straddle his lap.
Jaejoong was completely relaxed, and he easily took all of Yunho inside him. “This is good,” Jaejoong purred in approval as he braced his arms on Yunho’s shoulders and slowly slid up and down.
“Mmmmm,” Yunho concurred as he found his lover’s lips, letting Jaejoong control the pace.
A much unwanted thought occurred to Jaejoong as he broke from the kiss. “I hate myself so much for remembering this.”
“What?” Yunho asked mentally as his hands massaged his lover’s back.
Jaejoong lowered his head to rest it on Yunho’s shoulder, stopping his movements, and whimpered in disappointment. “Isn’t there somewhere you have to be?”
“Oh, crap!” Yunho exclaimed.
****************
“Captain, whatever feelings of guilt you are experiencing are completely illogical,” Changmin told his father, not bothering to hide his exasperation.
Yunho resisted the immature urge to stick his tongue out at his son. “I always see away teams off. Don’t I, Lieutenant Lee?”
“That you do, Sir,” Lieutenant Lee Donghae, the transporter chief, told them from his position behind the transporter panel.
“So, see, your accusation that I was feeling guilty for not going is inaccurate,” Yunho informed his son.
“But it kills you not to go,” Commander Cho said knowingly. “We will be careful.”
“I know…and Trysor is our ally,” Yunho reminded himself. “It’s a routine mission.”
Changmin frowned in dislike. “I would have hoped we would not have had to return so soon; that they have already managed to undo our corrections to their machinery this soon is troublesome.”
“They just need some help with some calculations; it won’t take us five minutes,” Kyuhyun pointed out.
“And then we can focus on brokering another deal with them for more food,” Shindong told them as he stepped up onto the transporter platform.
“Yes, more food,” Jaejoong, who was standing beside the captain, agreed. He had developed a true fondness for cooking, and amazingly enough, food appeared to be the way to his son’s heart.
Changmin nodded his head in agreement as he stepped up onto the transporter platform. “More food would be greatly appreciated.”
Yunho smiled at his son and asked, “Do you always think of food?”
Changmin looked down at his father and said, “No, only 23.7 percent of my day is spent thinking of food.”
Yunho snorted. “I do believe you are fudging the numbers now.”
“I do not fudge,” Changmin told Yunho, while arching his left eyebrow.
Commander Cho laughed at them both as he got on the transporter platform, standing between Changmin and Shindong. “We will be back in no time; hopefully, with lots of food.”
Yunho smiled at them and then turned to Donghae and ordered, “Energize.” Yunho looked back at the platform in time to see the three men being transported away.
*************
Kyuhyun, Shindong, and Changmin materialized in the private gardens outside the capitol building of Trysor, and were greeted immediately by the Trysorion president and his diplomatic party.
“Welcome to Trysor! It is so good to see you all again,” the Trysorion President said, greeting them, as he reached out his hand to shake Commander Cho’s hand.
Commander Cho smiled, taking the offered hand and shaking it firmly. “It’s good to be back, Mr. President. I regretted that I was unable to spend more time on the planet last time we were here.”
The President smiled and responded, “Hopefully, you will be able to take the time to enjoy our beautiful world this visit. What do you think about our private gardens?”
“They are breathtaking, and it is my sincere wish to get to explore more of your beautiful world,” Kyuhyun answered as he took in the flowering trees and countless flowers that filled the garden. Kyuhyun then motioned toward Changmin, and Shindong. “You know Consultant Shindong and Lieutenant Changmin.”
“Of course, we owe a world of debt to Shindong for introducing our two peoples to each other. Lieutenant Changmin was instrumental in our technology advancement…” the president trailed off when he noticed that Changmin’s eyes were glued to somebody standing behind him.
Kyuhyun and Shindong followed Changmin’s gaze till it landed on what Kyuhyun could honestly say was one of the most attractive men he had ever seen. The man had flawless skin, dark penetrating blue eyes, and dark auburn hair. He wore long blue robes that clung perfectly to him showing off his slender body. The man smiled back at them and started walking toward them.
“Oh, yes, he wished to meet you,” the president explained, without introducing them properly.
The man walked up to stand directly in front of the three members of the away team. “Yes, when I heard the crew of the magnificent Expectations was going to visit…I couldn’t help myself. I had to catch a glimpse.”
“The magnificent Expectations…you are much too kind,” Commander Cho told him.
“Nonsense, your great acts of daring and kindness are wildly known throughout this part of the galaxy. The ship that answers to no evil warlord, but only to its own conscience…it’s quite a remarkable concept,” the man told them.
Shindong studied the man intently, and asked, “You are not from this planet?”
The man laughed as if the mere thought was simply ridiculous. “No, I am just a visitor. There are a couple things here I need to collect, and then I will be on my way.”
The president frowned for a moment, but soon a smile replaced the frown. “You will be greatly missed.”
The man, whose eyes were locked on Changmin, did not turn around and face the president when he addressed him, “You are kind, but my time here is short. Actually, I’m being called away at this very moment,” the man informed them as he stared off at another man a short distance away that was waving for him. The man then gracefully bowed to each of the crew members. “It was a great honor to meet you…it was very informative.”
The crew members watched uneasily as the beautiful man walked off to join another tall, thin man who was standing alone at the edge of the garden.
“He’s too pretty,” Shindong blurted out loudly.
The president nodded his head in agreement. “He is a vision of beauty. My wife swoons whenever he is near.”
Commander Cho turned to face the Trysorion President. “Mr. President, if you would excuse us just for a moment, I need to discuss something with my team.”
“Of course,” the president told them.
“It shouldn’t take long,” the Commander told the president as he motioned Shindong and Changmin away.
After they were out of hearing distance, Shindong whispered, “I am serious…he’s too pretty. Something isn’t right.”
“I have to agree,” Kyuhyun said softly, and then said what was really bothering him. “He reminds me of Jaejoong.”
Changmin, who was still watching the man, pointed out, “They do have similar hair styles. They are also both very pleasing to the eye.”
“It’s more then how their bangs hang in the front…it’s an aura,” Kyuhyun insisted. “There is a confidence about him.”
Changmin nodded his head. “I was just pointing out a fact…I do not disagree with your assessment.”
“It’s almost like he’s toying with us,” Kyuhyun added. “I also do not like how we are isolated in this garden.”
Shindong swallowed nervously. “If he is a Joong...then maybe he came in the hopes of seeing Jaejoong?”
“Then why not ask for Jaejoong?” Kyuhyun questioned. “They knew Jaejoong wasn’t beaming down with us.”
“Joongs don’t exactly go around advertising their presence,” Shindong reminded him.
Changmin forced his eyes away from the man and told them, “I believe it would be best if we left this planet.”
“I agree; all my survival instincts are telling me to run,” Shindong told them.
Kyuhyun nodded his head in agreement and reached for his insignia.
******************
“Why are they still conscious? Also why are the president and his men still here?” Seung-hyun asked as the man walking up to him.
The man stopped beside Seung-hyun and sighed. “How are they supposed to call and tell their captain the good news if they are unconscious? The president and his men are perfectly under my control.”
“You only need one of them to be awake for that,” Seung-hyun reminded him as the both of them watched the three members of the Expectation’s crew. “My Lord will not be happy if you let this opportunity slip away…must I remind you that your happiness is directly connected to his?”
The man’s expression darkened. “No, you do not. I am here to warn you. You will have only one opportunity to get that necklace on him. Jaejoong’s body will quickly adapt to the gas in the room, and if he gets the upper hand, then we are done for.”
“Can you not take him in a fight?”
“No, I can not take him in a fight. Jaejoong is very powerful, or he would not have been able to resist your vicious master’s advances for so long. If he thinks his mate is in danger, he will kill you with barely a thought…and I do mean thought. There will be no reaching for weapons…he will wish it, and it will be done.”
Seung-hyun paled. “Then, what do we do if he adapts to the gas too quickly?”
“You shoot the mate, he will be flooded by his mate’s pain and can be easily handled then…if you act fast,” the man explained.
“My Lord left very specific instructions that he wanted them both alive.”
“Then aim for his leg. I do not care where you shoot-” the man stopped abruptly, walking quickly toward the three men.
“What’s going on?”
“They are on to us,” the man informed Seung-hyun.
Seung-hyun watched as Shindong and Kyuhyun collapsed to the ground, unconscious, but the tallest of the three, the one named Changmin, remained standing, his eyes locked on the man approaching him.
Seung-hyun observed what appeared to be a mental battle between the two of them. The one named Changmin’s hand jerked, as he tried to will it to reach for the badge on his uniform. “I am going to require some assistance,” the man yelled.
Seung-hyun pulled out the carefully concealed gun from the back of his pants and aimed and fired. The one named Changmin crumbled to the ground.
“Violent idiot!” the man screamed and ran toward the wounded Changmin.
Seung-hyun quickly followed him to the wounded man’s side. “You couldn’t control him. He was resisting you.”
“So, you shot him?”
“Yes, we can not allow anything to jeopardize the plan.”
The man put pressure on the wound to Changmin’s stomach and cursed the blood flowing out of the younger man. “I hate this! I hate this so much! It’s wrong! You people are immoral, and your master is an evil bastard!”
“And yet, you agreed to help us.”
The man let go of Changmin and stood up, clenching his fists which were covered in Changmin’s blood. “I didn’t have a choice!”
Seung-hyun smiled back at the man knowingly, and brutally told him, “No, you had a choice…and this is what you chose. You chose your happiness over theirs.”
The man sank back down to the ground beside Changmin and applied more pressure to his wound. “And I fear I will be doomed to pay for that choice for the rest of my life.”
Seung-hyun ignored the man’s self-indulgent words and looked down at the fatal wound to the abdomen. “I used a maze gun…your applying pressure will not save him. Nothing will.”
The man looked down at the wound that continued to ooze blood. “That gun was a horrible creation if there ever was one.”
“Why was he able to resist you?”
The man, who was facing away from Seung-hyun, let a small smile grace his lips for just a second. “There are some humans who are completely esper nil and immune to any kind of telepathy or empathic powers.”
“Like Hangeng’s newest slave?” Seung-hyun asked.
“I do not keep up with Hangeng’s slaves, but I am sure his wife would be drawn to such a person. For a Joong…they are very refreshing people, and full of mystery,” the man explained.
“Then I apologize for depriving you of such a prize.”
The man stood up glaring at Seung-hyun. “Unlike that monster that owns you…I do not collect slaves. I’m not like you people!”
“And yet…here you are.”
The man fumed, but controlled his anger. “We…have to hurry. If the commander does not contact the ship very soon, the ship will be on guard.” The man then turned toward the president and his men and sent them a mental command to come and retrieve the bodies.
***************
Kyuhyun awoke to find himself in a small room devoid of any furniture, and standing above him was the beautiful man from earlier.
“Ah, Commander you are awake,” the man told him. “If you would please get up, I am going to require your assistance.”
Kyuhyun climbed to his feet. “I don’t think I am going to offer you any assistance.”
The man smiled at him. “Oh, I fear I didn’t make myself clear. I didn’t say anything about you willingly providing it, did I?”
“Who are you? Where is the rest of my team?” Commander Kyuhyun demanded, looking around the room.
The beautiful man smiled at him and informed him, “You must forgive me for not introducing myself properly earlier. My name is Hyun Joong.”
“Joong,” Kyuhyun repeated as he reached for his insignia, but almost immediately his hand came to a complete halt.
“Yes, your chubby friend was right…I am much too pretty.”
“You are manipulating us? This was all a trick? I didn’t think Joongs…were like this. Jae would not do this.”
“Jaejoong has been very gentle with you and the other members on your ship,” Hyun Joong told Kyuhyun. “I do not have that option.”
“I don’t understand…why are you doing this…what are you doing?”
“I have been ordered to hand over your captain and Jaejoong to a monster that you might refer to as the Warlord ZhouMi. He is blackmailing me,” Hyun Joong told him.
Fear gripped Kyuhyun at the mention of ZhouMi’s name. He had never heard anything remotely nice about the man. Kyuhyun swallowed nervously, because he had no doubts that the Joong was capable of doing exactly what was demanded of him. “Where are the Lieutenant and Shindong?”
“They are in a cargo bay about to get loaded onto a merchant’s ship…where they will be sent to a planet of my choosing, and you will soon join them,” Hyun Joong explained, studying Kyuhyun intently.
“For what purpose?”
Hyun Joong ignored Kyuhyun’s question and told him, “I regretfully have to inform you that your Lieutenant Jung…the son of your captain, has been injured.”
“Is he alright?” Kyuhyun demanded, taking a step toward the other man.
The Joong shook his head as he narrowed his eyes and peered into Kyuhyun’s mind. “No, human could survive such a wound...but I’m sure he is quite the rapid healer. Isn’t he?”
“What did you do to him? No human can survive it? What kind of wound? We have to get him back to the ship! Ryeowook can help him,” Kyuhyun shouted at the Joong. “You can’t just let him die.”
“Listen to me,” Hyun Joong snapped and grabbed Kyuhyun by the shoulders. “No, human can survive such a wound…and he isn’t going back to your ship.”
Kyuhyun pushed the Joong away. “You are going to hand Yunho and Jaejoong over to ZhouMi…and you are going to let Changmin die? Are you sure you are not the monster?”
The other man from earlier walked into the room, clapping his hands. “These humans are quite perceptive and noble, aren’t they?”
Hyun Joong continued to stare at Kyuhyun, not bothering to look at Seung-hyun. “Yes, they are very different. They wouldn’t kill, rape and torture on your master’s orders.”
“No, they wouldn’t; they are not like you and me,” Seung-hyun replied. “Don’t forget your hands will never wash clean after today.”
“We must contact the ship now, we are running out of time,” Hyun Joong told them, closing his eyes.
*************
“What happened to today belonging to me?”
“I just need to look over this one report, and then I will be all yours again,” Yunho promised as they entered the bridge.
Jaejoong stared after Yunho as he headed for the Captain’s Ready Room. “Whatever, you just missed the bridge.”
“Five minutes.” Yunho stopped at the entrance to his office and turned around to face Jaejoong. “Aren’t you coming with me?”
“No, I think I will hang out on the bridge with Yoochun for a bit,” Jaejoong said with a devilish smile, as he felt Commander Yoochun internally wince at his words.
Yunho shrugged and entered his office, and Jaejoong practically pranced to the center of the bridge, where he plopped down in his councilor’s chair beside Commander Yoochun and mischievously told him, “This must be so awkward for you.”
“I would rather be in engineering, but one does what they have to,” Yoochun replied, avoiding looking at the Joong.
Jaejoong laughed out loud. “It’s hard to give up what you really want…to have to settle for seconds, isn’t it?”
Yoochun mentally cursed the day that Yunho got himself attached to the telepath sitting beside him. “One does what he has to do.”
Jaejoong rolled his eyes and stared at the ensigns sitting in front of him, debating on whether he should expand his game. Torturing Commander Yoochun was fun, but...
“Don’t,” Commander Yoochun ordered, disturbing Jaejoong from his thoughts by reaching out and taking Jaejoong’s hand.
Jaejoong jerked his hand away from Commander Yoochun, but scrutinized the man’s feelings. “It’s a terrible feeling, isn’t it?”
“Which one?” Commander Yoochun asked in a soft voice.
Jaejoong got up from the chair and smiled unsympathetically down at Commander Yoochun and sent him a telepathic message. “One feeling is only horrible because you refuse to embrace it. The feelings of regret that you suffer from now…will only grow.”
“Okay, I am done,” Yunho declared, stepping out of his office. “Commander, you have the bridge ‘til Commander Cho returns.”
“Yes, sir,” Commander Yoochun agreed.
“No!” Jaejoong cried out in a huffy tone as Ensign Choi stepped up to Yunho with purposeful intent.
“Behave,” Yunho sent to Jaejoong and then asked the ensign standing in front of him, “What is it, Ensign?”
“Commander Cho is calling from the planet and is requesting to speak with you,” Ensign Choi told the captain.
“Why didn’t my…” Yunho trailed off, looking down at his insignia, and then to a very guilty-looking Jaejoong.
“You turned my insignia off!”
“It’s supposed to be my day!”
“I am the captain! You can’t turn my insignia off!”
“Like they couldn’t find you if they needed you badly enough.”
Yunho glared daggers at Jaejoong and turned his insignia on and tapped it. “Commander, what is going on?”
“Captain! We have wonderful news. The Trysorion people are reporting that a couple weeks ago, some space traders that deal with the Warlord Hangeng were here, and they have news of our missing crew.”
“Do they know where they are?” Yunho asked his hopes soaring high.
Commander Kyuhyun’s happily replied. “Sir, apparently Hangeng sold the ambassadors’ daughter to a rich merchant that works with Warlord ZhouMi, and Lieutenant Choi is rumored to still be with Hangeng. There are others on the planet the president thinks that might know more…but they are unwilling to share all their information.”
“Sounds like I need to pay them a visit.”
“For once Jaejoong…I couldn’t agree more.”
“Commander, please tell the Trysorion President that I will be right down,” Yunho told the commander.
“Yes, sir,” Commander Kyuhyun responded.
“Captain, out,” Yunho said, ending his connection with Commander Cho and turning to face Ensign Choi. “We will get both your sister and your cousin back.”
Young Ensign Choi, whose eyes were suddenly moist, nodded his head at the captain. “I know you will, Sir.”
“And that will be a very good day,” Commander Yoochun said walking up to stand beside the captain.
“Yes, it will be,” Yunho agreed and turned to Commander Yoochun. “Have Ensign Kangin meet us in the transporter room immediately.”
“Yes, Sir,” Yoochun replied, as Yunho headed for the lift with Jaejoong at his side. “Good Luck, Captain.”
Yunho entered the elevator, and turned around to face Commander Yoochun. “Hopefully, luck will be on our side.”