Tau

Mia-Karla

Krais Katchupek looked through his visor display at the Barracoi, the demon, Mia-Karla.  Black, bat-like wings, sharp spines and black scales covered he demon... and yet, he found the creature strangely alluring.  The creature was manacled and chained.  All he had to do was to seal her in the cryo-chamber and flick the switch to put her on ice... and yet... something niggled at the back of his mind.

The demon raised her red eyes and spoke.

'They call you Krais?'

Through the com-link of his phase suit Katchupek replied.

'Krais is the name.'

'And you are a Peytahn?'

'Hmm, part Peytahn, part human, with a few tricks thrown in.'

'I hear that Peytahns track by scent?'

'Well, scent, sensors, tracks... you name it.'

'Have you ever scented a female Barracoi?'  A smile grew on the harsh features of the demon and again Krais felt something stirring within him.

'No.  We were briefed about that.  Your scent is supposed to be part of your weaponry.'

'Ah... but would you like to take a little sniff?  What harm could it do?'  Mia-Karla batted her eyelids and acted coy.  The sight of the deadly demon acting coy intrigued Krais even more.  He thought to himself: she's manacled, chained, his helmet was fitted with gauzian shielding to prevent mind control... what harm could come from opening the air inlet to his visor?  Krais liked gambling.  Here was a risk.  Was it worth taking?  Was a scent worth risking his life for?  Scents were like memories to a Peytahn and memories were what life was made of.  And so, why not take a risk?

'Mia-Karla... do you promise not to harm me if I do taste your scent?'

Mia-Karla lowered her head and then looked up at Krais.

'I promise... I won't harm you.'

'Ok...'  Krais touched a button on his visor and the air vents were open.  Mia-Karla smiled.  The scent glands on her skin poured forth the narcotic essence that wafted on the air towards the black-suited Peytahn.

Krais took a deep breath.  'Whoa!'

The demon before him shimmered in the light.  Long, raven-black hair grew where spines and scales had been.  Deep brown eyes and green and blue tattoos and ridges marked the woman's high forehead.  The black leathery wings were gone and the demon Mia-Karla appeared as the perfect Peytahn woman.

Krais groaned with sheer pleasure.

'Krais... how about a little kiss?'

Krais said nothing, but unfastened the locking device on his phase suit helmet.  In a moment his helmet was off and he placed it on the floor.  He moved towards the vision of beauty before him.

His lips brushed against the full red lips of the woman.  The alluring scent had been heavenly.  The taste of the lips made visions of perfection race through Krais' mind.  In his mind's eye he saw a bright white circle, wreathed in swirling blue and green tattoo patterns that spoke of right and wrong, his place in the world and the memory... the memory of everything.  He parted his lips and the demon entered him.  Their souls became one.

The demon had spoken true.  He had not been harmed, but had found peace.  Happily, Krais sank to the floor and all became darkness.

Mia-Karla beat her wings in the air, then snapped the manacles and chains.  She looked upward at the ceiling of the cryo room and only then did she see the camera.

'Well, the chains are gone... now, time to make my escape.'  The thought had just passed through Mia-Karla's head, when the door to the room opened.  In walked a clone.

'Mia-Karla... good to meet you again.'  The clone, a Taro Mahn, strode towards the demon.

'Hmm, were you one of the little birdies who brought me here?'

'No.  I've known you for quite some time now.'

Mia-Karla was confused.  It was time to see if her scent would work on the Howejtadt, too.

'Well, if you know me already, how about a little hug?'

'Ahh... I know all your little tricks: the barbed spike, injecting your cells into your victim's brain, taking control of them... all that.   But, it just so happens, that is exactly what I'm looking for.'

Again Mia-Karla was confused.  'Now, this isn't going to be any fun.'

'Oh, I wouldn't be so sure.'  The clone, Taro Mahn, walked towards Mia-Karla, with no sign of fear.  Gently he cupped her chin in his hand and raised his lips to hers.  For Mia-Karla the kiss was part of the predator-prey response: almost too hard to suppress.  Her barbed spike shot into the man's mouth and her cells and venom were injected.

She closed her eyes and prepared to look into the mind of the Howejtadt.

An explosion of light tore through Mia-Karla's mind and she collapsed on the floor.  Images flashed through her thoughts, in a helter-skelter of swirling patterns.  It was too much.  Mia-Karla pulled her mind away.

It was then that the switch was flicked and the cryo-tube descended around Mia-Karla.  She opened her eyes just in time to see herself become frozen.  And then all was darkness.