Sayatoga prison ship, somewhere in the vastness of space. Elise Roma enjoyed walking the halls of the ship. When she wasn’t busy doing the inventory of prisoners and making sure every cryo-pod was functioning properly, she liked to simply walk around the ship. Even when she was summoned by a superior, she still enjoyed the walk, it let her prepare herself for whatever the meeting will require of her. Most of the crew she walked by ignored her, as she ignored them. She had a few friends, but they were among the guards and few of them had reasons to be on the command level. She walked by a Xanain scrubbing the floor. His antennas vibrated a moment before he lifted his head. He looked at her and gave a nod, before going back to his scrubbing. He wasn’t what she preferred, with his thin, scaly body; she didn’t even know if he was really a male, she hadn’t bothered studying his species, but he had equipment located in the same place as human males, and he could use it to pleasure her, so she had offered him a deal. Spend nights in her bed, and she’d see to it he had light duties, instead of every slowly wasting away in the tubes. Her species never did anything for her. Humans just looked too boring. She’d experimented in her youth, but not only did they look boring, but their performance in bed had been less than impressive. Aliens, now they knew how to show her a good time, especially when they had the proper motivation. She left the Xanain behind without a second glance and continued toward the bridge. The door opened as she reached it and she entered the busy space. She rarely had any reasons to come here. Her duties kept her in the lower part of the ship, but when the captain called, you came. The man turned in his chair and fixed his gaze on her. His white jacket and pants were impeccable, as any of the other rare time she’d seen him. As far as she could tell, he didn’t wear any other colors. “Captain, you wanted to see me?” He nodded. “I’d like you to explain this.” He motioned for the communication officer and an image appeared between them. It was a still of an alien’s face, a Samalian. Black fur, she thought, with possible dots on it, or it was the poor quality of the image. It was replaced with another still, that same alien in a fight with four guards. Another one of him shooting someone in the head. She looked at the text. “Tristan wanted for kidnapping.” Under that an amount. Her breath caught. If money was any kind of motivation for her, she would be more than happy to desert her post with this prisoner and claim the bounty. “Well?” “Clearly this is either a joke of some sort, or someone has the wrong alien.” She stepped to a board and asked the operator if she could use it. After he nodded, she brought up a file. It appeared next to the bounty. Another Samalian, face and shoulder, fur a deep brown, almost black with specks speckled among it. Next to it was an image of him floating in a tube. Next to that displays of his life signs. Barely moving, but indicating that he was indeed there, and alive. “This is Tristan.” She consulted the screen. “He’s in C10. He’s been there since he was brought back. If you want to see for yourself, I can pull him out of storage.” The man waved the suggestion aside with a hand. “A joke then?” “More likely a mistake. You know how aliens all look alike. Someone was attacked by this one, they saw dark fur, white spots and immediately thought of the Infamous Tristan. As soon as someone bothers checking, the bounty is going to be changed, if not removed outright.” “All right, good, good. So long as he’s still here. I don’t care who the bounty hunters go after.” He turned back to the front of the bridge and a woman approached him with a datapad. Clearly dismissed, Elise left. The Xanain nodded at her again, but she ignored him. Something bothered her. That had been an official bounty, and that amount…no one would offer that kind of money without first making sure they had the right person. Except that Tristan was in a tube. Not only did the computer say so, but she’d done a visual check just last month. And she remembered him. How could she not, considering the plans she’d had for him. He was such a specimen, and so very male. She hadn’t come across him until he was released to capture that prisoner who the captain had let escape on the ship. Only two months in her new position, and she’d had to release close to three dozen prisoner because the captain couldn’t keep track of one of his playthings. She’d planned to offer the Samalian a place in her bed, once that had been resolved, but he managed to use his temporary freedom to escape. It had taken a couple of years to get him back, and by then he’d proved he was far too crafty to allow out of a tube. The cryo transition room was empty, as usual. Unless they were moving a prisoner in or out, there was no reason to man this room. She entered a command and the screens became active. She looked them over, for any error codes. Everything was of optimal working order. She entered the command for tube C10 to be brought here, and a moment later, a robotic arm placed the tube on the proper stand, and its readout reappeared on the screen. She looked them over again, brought up the scans she’d done when he had been brought back, compared them. Yes, they matched. This was indeed Tristan. She stepped to the tube and studied him through the greenish liquid. She sighed, what a lover he would have made, strong, virile. How exciting it would have been to control such a male. She ran a hand down the clear material, wishing her fingers could touch his fur, his muscles, his— She frowned. Was he less muscular than she remembered? Had he lost muscle mass while he was free? It couldn’t have happened here. It would be centuries before any indication that time was passing for him would show on his body. She tapped the surface for a moment, then went back to the desk. She sat and did a check of her system. Scanning for any spy program, recording program or just connection she hadn’t set up. When she was certain no one could see what she was doing, she accessed a hidden data vault. It took her a moment to find the file she wanted. The scan of Tristan she’d done when she’d released him. That scan had kept her fantasies going for months after he’d escaped, and until she’d found someone to take to her bed. She looked at, and yes, he’d been more massive then. Had he let himself go? Still he had— What was that? She had the computer compare the DNAs to be certain, and it returned a sixty-two percent match between them. This wasn’t the Samalian she’d released. He was a relative of his. How had this happened? She stood to go tell the captain, this wasn’t something you said over comms, but stopped. It had been her job to confirm this was Tristan. Sure, she’d only matched his scan to what was in the system, but that was enough. But would the captain think so? Or would he blame her for the loss of revenue? She faced the tube. And if this wasn’t Tristan, then there was no danger he’d escape again. She hadn’t been sure she could control that Samalian, but this one? Him she would make hers for as long as he could pleasure her. She shivered at the thought and began making plans. She couldn’t just release him. Unlike the others, the captain would never agree to giving Tristan any sort of duties on the ship. She’d have to get one of her friends to get the computer to show he was still in his tube. That meant the Samalian would be restricted to her quarters and some of the surrounding rooms, but that would be more space than he’d been confined to. She’d also need a few guard she trusted, and one of the medics that owed her for that time she got him a Jolarnian to play with. He hadn’t enjoyed it, but he still owed her for the risk she’d taken. Yes, he’d have access to the sedatives she’d need. * * * * * The Samalian stirred in her bed. She watched him from the doorway, the stunner she’d gotten from the guard behind her back. She didn’t think he’d try anything physical, but she wasn’t taking any risk. He coughed, looked around, then bolted to a sitting position, eyes wide, ears back. “Where? How?” He saw her and focused. “Who are you? Where am I?” he sounded scared. “I was attacked! This crazy woman jumped me, beat me up.” He touched his face. “What happened?” “You’re on the Sayatoga prison ship,” Elise said. His eyes went even wider. “Prison? Why? I haven’t done anything.” “You’re Tristan, a dangerous criminal wanted for over a thousand death.” “Who? I’m not—My name is Justin, I run Luminex.” He found some fortitude. “I demand that you release me immediately.” “Unfortunately, that isn’t going to happen. The ship’s computer thinks you’re Tristan, so that’s who you are.” “Then check outside sources. Luminex has medical records for me.” Elise shrugged and set the stunner on the dresser as she walked to the bed. “Maybe, but it doesn’t matter. If the captain finds out you’re not Tristan, it’s going to cost me my job. So why don’t you tell me why he arranged for you to take his place here?” “I don’t know. I’ve never heard of this Tristan.” She smiled at him. “That’s a lie. You two are related. Brothers.” She sat on the edge. “I see, so you did your research.” “I did.” Justin let himself fall back, his head hitting the pillow. “He wants me dead. I guess using me to ensure no one would come looking for him was a backup plan when I was about to escape him.” He sighed. “So, why am I here? This doesn’t look much like a cell.” “Actually, the Sayatoga keeps its prisoner in cryo-tubes. Fewer troubles that way.” Justin nodded. “How did Tristan escape then?” “Because of the captain’s arrogance. He thought he could use criminals to capture another one who had broken free in the ship. All that it caused was chaos. It turned into a mass escape attempt, Tristan and that prisoner were the only ones to succeed. How did you know he escaped? You said he had you take his place.” “My survival depends on knowing where he is.” He looked around. “Is this your room?” She nodded. “Why am I here?” She reached under the covers and placed a hand on his chest. “I have a proposal for you.” She ran her hand down to his stomach. “If you agree to stay with me, to do what I say, I can keep you out of the cryo tube.” Her hand reached his groin and she wrapped it around the shaft. Justin smiled and moaned lightly. He placed his hands behind his head. “And what exactly do I have to do for you?” She stroked him. “Pleasure me.” Justin grins. “I will be happy to do that. Since you have things in hand right now. Do you want to use me? Or have me do the work for you?” She smiled at him. “You seem to agree to this rather easily.” She squeezed and Justin arched his back with a moan. When he relaxed he looked at her. “If there’s one thing I know how to do, it’s whatever I have to so I’ll survive. And I have to admit this is one of the more pleasurable ways I’ve been ensuring my survival, so yes. I’m more than happy to agree to it.” She released him and undressed. He watched her and he licked his lips, his ears pointing forward. Desire gleamed in his eyes. She smiled, this would be even easier than she’d expected. Unlike the others, who had had to work themselves up to having sex with someone of another species, this one seemed eager for it. She straddled him and ground herself against him. He was already panting. It will be so easy to control him, she thought, and she used him to get herself wet. He tried to take control, but she batted his hands away. He pulled his hands away with a mischievous grin, acknowledging his defeat, but promising her he would try again. Yes, she was going to enjoy him. He wouldn’t just submit, he’d try to do this his way, but she’d show him it was better when he let her lead. When she was ready, she changed her angle, and they moaned in unison. * * * * * She panted as she lay on top of him. This had been as pleasurable as she’d imagined it being. The Samalian was talented, and built in such a way that he’d hit the right spots inside her. After her first orgasm, she’d been too distracted to stop him from taking control, and he had given her two more before he’d reached his own. “I think you misunderstand what it means to do what I say,” She said, her tone light. “I’m the one in control.” He returned her smile. “I’m used to running things, Mistress. It’s going to take me some time before I fully understand it. Maybe you should arrange to train me multiple times a day.” She laughed. “And here I thought you would fight me.” “Why would I do that? Do you have any idea how long I’ve looked for someone willing to take charge? Every woman before you has always wanted me to own them. This is so much better.” He canted his head. “I do wonder one thing, though.” Elise found herself blushing. “Yes?” “is your ambition limited to owning me?” He leaned in and licked her ear, then whispered. “Or can you see yourself owning so much more?”