Take my love, take my land, take me where I cannot stand. I don't care I'm still free, you can't take the sky from me. Take me out to the black, tell them I ain't coming back. Burn the land and boil the sea, you can't take the sky from me......There's no place I can be since I found my Liberty, you can't take the sky from me."
Chapter 1: Will You Hate Me In The Morning
Brian looked around the large antique oak table at his crew and smiled. For quite some time he had felt adrift in the same way his ship drifted through space, but he’d finally made a home for himself with this rag tag bunch of people and he was reasonably happy with his lot in life. However, he still got the nagging feeling in his gut that something was still missing in his life. It had taken him no time after the Unification War was officially over to decide he could never live the conventional life. So, he had taken his savings and purchased an old model Firefly transport ship. He’d fallen in love with the ship at first sight, and it had proven its worth time after time. He named his baby Liberty and started putting together the best crew he could find. His second in command was easy enough to find as she had been with him through every battle he’d ever fought during the war. Melanie Marcus, who preferred to be called Mel, was the perfect soldier and the closest thing he had to a friend. His eyes moved past Mel and settled on to the blonde sitting next to her. Lindsay Peterson, or Lindz to her friends, was Mel’s life partner and the pilot of his ship. Next to Lindz sat Ben Bruckner, or as Brian liked to refer to him, Big Ben. Now that was one fellow Brian would never understand. He was big and brutish to look at, but he had this Zen like attitude that contradicted his appearance. Ben was good with his hands, in more ways than one if Brian remembered correctly, and he had a way with a gun, which made him perfect for the role of security officer. On the other side of the table sat Emmett Honeycutt his mechanic. Now Em was the colorful one of the bunch always wearing some outrageous outfit and bouncing around like a teenager. Nothing said it better than Em’s personal motto, “I’d rather my light burn bright than be some little pilot light.” Next to Em sat Theodore Schmidt the ship’s doctor. Brian had to admit that Ted was the perfect candidate to be the doctor, because he kept his head even under the most horrific conditions. Unfortunately, Ted had to be the most boring human being Brian had ever encountered on any planet anywhere in the known verse.
Mel interrupted his thoughts by inquiring, “Sir, when are we going to be landing on Babylon?”
“In two hours we’ll be breaking atmo, so we should be landing in about two and a half hours as long as everything goes smoothly. I just hope Gardner has a decent job lined up this time,” Brian shook his head and winked at Mel.
“Not bloody likely Captain, that Wangbadan will never change,” was Mel’s cryptic reply.
Everyone at the table laughed at Mel’s description of Gardner as a dirty son of a bitch, well everyone except Ted. His only reaction was to raise his eyebrows and frown a bit at Mel’s remark.
“Oooh my prim and proper Teddie doesn’t seem to like all the gutter talk,” gushed Em as he gave Ted a big squeezing hug.
Ted shook off Em’s arms, “Well, I will never understand why we have to act like hooligans.”
That got another round of laughter from the table as Brian stood up, “I’m heading to my quarters for a nap. Wake me if any disaster happens that you dykes and queens can’t seem to handle.”
A round of “Aye, Aye Captain,” sounded as he left the kitchen and headed to his room.
Two hours later Brian entered the bridge and looked at the pretty blonde woman sitting in the pilot’s chair, “So Lindz how are we to land?”
“We have permission to land just outside of Savory City, Captain.”
“Have you contacted Gardner yet?”
“He’s sending a transport pod to the landing site to take you to his lodge, Captain. He requested your presence tonight for a party.”
“Wo de ma! What the gui does he have up his sleeve this time?”
“We shall soon see, Captain,” Lindz replied with a smirk on her face.
Brian reached over and pushed the button on the intercom system and growled, “Big Ben, Em, Mel report to the cargo bay immediately.”
Lindz looked up and grinned at Brian, “Make sure to wear your finest, Captain.”
“Wo cao,” Brian cursed as he headed for the cargo bay with Lindz’s laughter echoing down the hallway.
Brian entered the cargo bay and started barking out orders, “Okay listen up folks, it seems I have to make a command appearance at some ritzy ball at Gardner’s tonight. Since I have no intentions of suffering alone, Mel, you and Big Ben will accompany me to gui while Em here drums us up some paying passengers for the return trip to Saphron. Look alive people! We have places to go, people to rob, and circumstances to influence.”
Em slid up next to Brian and whispered, “Gui, Captain? You really think going to a party is hell?”
Brian growled “Get to work Em and earn your credits.”
“Well Captain, I do believe you pay me to keep this gloriously fabulous machine of yours in the air. I don’t remember signing on as a tour guide, although I would make a most excellent one. Do I get a cute little uniform and everything?” Em’s sing song voice bounced around the cargo bay as he struck several provocative poses.
Brian glared at Em shaking his head in disgust as he made his way to his quarters to change for the party. He needed someone to remind him again why he put up with this shit.
Brian entered his quarters and headed straight for his closet. He looked at the outfits hanging neatly inside and reached for his dress suit with distaste. He hated all the pansy parties and having to put on a suit and tie. He always felt more comfortable in his jeans and soft leather chaps. He quickly changed and admired his reflection. “Wo cao wo, yes most definitely, I’d fuck me.”
Brian met up with Ben and Mel and headed out to the transport. “Well guys and gals this should be a real shindig so buckle up.”
“Aye, Aye Captain,” was their cryptic reply as they all boarded the transport pod headed to Gardner’s.
Gardner greeted them at the door and ushered them inside. “Welcome to my humble abode.” He nudged Brian and whispered, “I wish to speak with you privately for a moment Bri.”
“Certainly Gardner,” Brian answered as he turned to his crew mates, “You guys have some fun and I’ll see you in a bit.”
Brian followed Gardner into his study and took the seat opposite Gardner’s desk, “So what do I owe the pleasure of this command performance?”
Gardner looked at the elegantly dressed man sitting before him and wondered how he could look so at ease in a suit as well as his usual garb. “Well Bri, I have a very profitable proposal for you. I have a client who is in the market for a very rare crystal and he’s willing to pay top dollar.”
“Sounds intriguing but I’m sure there is more to this little tale than what you have told me so far.”
Gardner grinned at Brian and leaned back in his chair. “Well it seems this crystal is only found on one planet located on the far side of the black.”
“Wo cao Gardner!” cursed Brian, “You do not expect me to go back to Drakma!”
“Well if you wish to take this job Bri, I guess you’ll have to revisit your family.”
Brian gripped the arms of his chair tightly to keep from ripping Gardner’s head off as he noticed the grin on the other man’s face and growled, “I’ll let you know after speaking with my crew.”
“Well that’s fine Bri, now you should go enjoy the party.”
Brian stood and marched out of the office muttering curses under his breath. He entered the ballroom and quickly looked around spotting Ben sitting at a table on the far side of the room with a gorgeous boy in his lap. Brian couldn’t help but laugh as he approached his crew mate, “Well now Big Ben, it seems you didn’t waste any time finding a diversion.”
“What do you expect me to do Captain when I am surrounded by all these temptations?”
Brian sat down at the table across from Ben and his boy and looked around the grandly decorated ballroom at all the couples dancing. Not for the first time Brian felt the catch in his gut that something was missing in his life. He reached over and grabbed Ben’s drink and quickly drained the glass motioning for his glass to be refilled. He drained two more glasses pretty quickly feeling the burn in his stomach.
“Whoa Captain, take it easy there mate. We have the whole night ahead of us to party, so there’s no need to rush things.”
Brian looked at Ben and smirked, “Well I need to catch up with you don’t I?”
There was a very loud gong and five of the most beautiful men Brian had ever seen walked to the middle of the ballroom floor. Everyone immediately vacated the floor and took seats.
“Sheng pi hua, he has geisha boys!” exclaimed Ben excitedly.
Holy shit indeed thought Brian as his gaze moved over each of the beautiful men standing in the middle of the floor. They were dressed in tight pants that left nothing to the imagination with a vest pulled over their shoulders. Each wore a collar around his neck with a different jewel.
“Would you get a load of those jewels around their necks. Gui they must be worth a year’s wages,” muttered Ben.
Just then another loud gong was heard and all the geisha boys immediately dropped to their knees. Brian heard murmurs as his gaze was drown to the open doorway at the opposite end of the ballroom. His gaze locked with the bluest eyes he had ever seen. This must have been what it was like to look upon the Greek gods of old. This boy, no man, no boy was wearing a very elaborate toga and his golden hair was perfectly cut to shape his face. Brian could only imagine what delights that toga concealed and felt his body responding.
Justin looked around the room with a bored indifference until his gaze made contact with a set of beautiful hazel eyes. He had never seen anyone quite so handsome in his life. The man wore a very elegant suit that seemed to fit him like a glove, he had the most amazing brown hair that looked as if someone had just been running their fingers through it, and those lips were just perfect. Justin felt his heart rate accelerate as he slowly made his way to the front of the geisha boys. The geishas stood up and formed a semi-circle behind him.
Brian watched with lust filled eyes as the toga clad vision made his way through the tables and stopped right in front of Ben. Brian swallowed hard as the blonde bent down and whispered something into Ben’s ear. Brian was startled to realize he wished the blonde was whispering sweet nothings into his ear.
“Hey Captain, it seems I have been picked to make the formal introduction. So, I’d like you to meet Justin Taylor,” Ben said with a huge grin on his face. Ben then turned and looked up at Justin, “Justin, this is Captain Brian Kinney of the cargo transport ship Liberty.”
Justin smiled his biggest smile at Brian and gave him a little bow before whispering, “Nihao Captain Kinney, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I hope I am not too forward in asking your company at my table.”
Brian blinked at the sheer force of that smile because it reminded him of the bright sunlight on Drakma, which was about the only nice thing he could remember about the place of his birth. He smiled back, “Well I would be happy to join you Mr. Taylor.”
Brian followed Justin back to the table and was surprised when the blonde held his chair for him to be seated before sitting in the other chair. Justin clapped his hands signaling music to play and the geisha boys began a very difficult looking dance.
Justin leaned close to Brian’s ear and whispered, “So Captain Kinney”
“It’s just Brian or Bri, if you prefer. I don’t think we have to be so formal,” interrupted Brian.
Justin smiled brightly at Brian again and licked his lips nervously, “Okay, Brian it is.” Justin was feeling so nervous and excited at the same time. He was more than attracted to the man sitting next to him. Actually, he could honestly say he’d never felt anything like what he was feeling. It was both exhilarating and scary at the same time. He was trying not to squirm in his seat as he thought about what he would have to do next. He really hated that he was going to have to deceive this beautiful man. What would happen if he just told this man the truth and asked for his help outright? Well he had tried that before and look what trouble it had brought him. No, it was much better to stick with his original plan.
Brian watched the blonde instead of the beautiful geisha boys. He was more than intrigued and wondered what the boy was thinking. He took the time to look really closely at the white porcelain skin, the high cheekbones, the luscious red lips, and the long neck. Obviously this boy came from good stock and money as well. He was almost too perfect to be human. Brian loved the sound of the boy’s voice and decided to try and get him to talk some more, “So, is this your first visit to Savory City?”
Justin reached up and tucked a strand of his hair behind his ear nervously and leaned closer, “Well actually it’s my first visit to Babylon.”
“Are you here on business or pleasure?”
Justin swallowed hard not really wanting to lie to this man for some reason, “I’m here on business of sorts.”
“Well that makes two of us here on business. What kind of business are you in?”
Justin smiled at Brian and asked, “Do you know what a registered companion is?”
Brian groaned silently. Of all the people here he had to go and get himself mixed up with a rutting whore for hire. Sure the alliance gave them all the status. Ironically, this whore was ranked in a higher class than himself. Brian took a deep breath and looked again at the beautiful blonde already regretting the time they weren’t going to spend together. It wasn’t that Brian thought of himself as being better than the companions nor did he particularly mind their profession. He just flatly refused to pay to have sex, end of story.
Justin noticed the look of disdain cross the other man’s features and wondered if he had picked the wrong lie to go with in this instance. Cao! He’d already messed up and hadn’t even started yet. He needed this man in the worst possible way. He quickly devised another plan, “Well you see my parents want to ship me off to a training school to make me a male registered companion, and well, see, the problem is I don’t want to become a male whore.”
Brian blinked at the boy’s confession and wondered what kind of parents shipped their kid off to become a whore.
Justin continued to talk hoping to gain this man’s sympathies quickly, “I’m here trying to find someone to give me transport away from this place.”
“Well I see you have yourself a problem, but just what do you want me to do about it?”
Justin licked his lips again, “I just want to buy passage on your ship. I promise I won’t cause any problems, I just really have to get off this planet as soon as I possibly can.”
“Well I don’t see a problem Yang guang,” Brian couldn’t believe he’d called the boy Sunshine.
Justin smiled at the nickname Brian had used, “Well Brian it seems you have yourself a new passenger, would you mind walking me to my room so I can begin packing?”
Brian stood and took the blonde’s arm and they exited the ballroom together. It was definitely going to be an interesting voyage with this passenger onboard. They arrived at the blonde’s room and Brian entered behind him looking around at the plush decorations.
“Would you like a drink Brian?”
“Sure Yang guang, I’d love a drink.”
Justin walked over to his liquor cart and began to pour two drinks quickly slipping the drug into the captain’s glass. He turned and walked slowly toward his mark handing him the drugged drink. He raised his glass and gently touched it to the captain’s, “Salute and good health.”
“Salute and good health,” repeated Brian softly before draining his glass. He was going to need the alcohol to keep his mind from wondering about the blonde’s activities after he left.
Justin took the glass and placed both on the table before leaning in to place a passionate kiss on the captain’s mouth. He moaned softly as he let his tongue explore the older man’s mouth. He felt Brian sway slightly and pushed him back on the bed with a feral smile. Okay, so maybe his plan was going to work after all. Now he had to get Brian’s clothes off and under the covers. He quickly worked at stripping the captain admiring each inch of flesh as he uncovered it. He felt himself getting impossibly hard as he pulled the captain’s pants down and got his first look at Brian’s cock. He was huge! Oh why did you have to be so beautifully put together Brian? I would have so enjoyed getting to know you, but if my plan goes well you will be hating me by morning.