Chapter 268: (PThok Smokes a Pack) (2/2)

”Hmm, you better be right,” the Matron said. She picked up the metal eating implement, noting that it was freezing cold.

She took a single bite.

It was cold, but tasted amazing. Tastes blossomed in her mouth, when she exhaled through her mouth to warm it the complex protein chains were sensed by her delicate antenna, bringing more pleasure coursing through her mind.

P'Thok smelled the pheromones and quickly lit another cigarette, so he had two in his mouth.

The Matron heeded P'Thok's advice, looking at the male out of the corner of her eye. He was much more handsome than she had previously realized. Virile too. She could tell in the fearless way he looked at her, admiring her beauty. After all, what wasn't to admire. She was a powerful and wise Matron, who had laid many broods of eggs and eaten a hundred heads.

The bowl was empty too quickly and the Matron held out the bowl. ”More?” she asked coyly, fluttering her wings, knowing they were flushed with blood.

”More will make you intoxicated to the point of delusions of grandeur,” P'Thok warned. ”The humans call it 'being high' and it should be avoided.”

”Oh,” the Matron said, pouting slightly with a droop of the antenna and a sad clacking of her mandibles.

She realized something with a start.

While she definitely hoped that such a fine specimen as P'Thok would realize just how attractive she was, even for an older Matron who's carapace color was beginning to fade, she no longer felt the driving urge to mate. No longer felt the hunger to mate and devour his head. The idea of mating was more a dreamy, drowsy thing that made her abdomen warm rather than a burning desire she couldn't wipe out of her mind.

She looked at the bowl.

”This substance...” she said softly, rubbing her wings together and luxuriating in the drowsy sensual pleasure of it. ”This substance is amazing. You were right, we must seize more of it, show it to the Hive Queens, the High Matrons.”

P'Thok tapped out a smoke. ”Try this, Matron. Another human secret I wrested from them with guile and cleverness.”

The arousal and excitement pheromones were thick and the Matron was amazed that P'Thok dared to lean close, put the tube in her mouth, in her sharp and deadly mandibles, and then light the tube.

She inhaled and then exhaled like he suggested.

She felt a calm come over her and the smell of her pheromones receded. Her antenna raised in surprised.

”I will assign one of my men to you, Matron,” P'Thok said. ”I know they will be safe with you now.”

The Matron nodded. To be honest, she'd rather have another little scoop of that wonderful substance and another 'smoke' than eat a male's head.

At least there wasn't a body to dispose of or bury for the grubs to eat when they hatched.

As for himself, P'Thok searched out the stores and found whole cartons of packs of smokes, even little machines that could have liquid added for the same effects. He ordered his men to carry a pack at all times, to have a lit one in their mandibles when approaching the Matron. He took one of the machines and convinced a human to decorate it with precious stones.

The Matron looked up as P'Thok entered her chamber again. She felt a little silly about how she had tried to seduce the big warrior before the mission was over and hoped he would not berate her. Instead, he just knelt down and held a small device and a bottle infuser out to her.

”What is it?” she asked.

P'Thok realized he had no idea what to call it. He thought fast. ”A power smoker. Fit only for the wealthy and sophisticated such as yourself, oh Matron.”

whew, he thought to himself when he saw her antenna perk up.

She took it and examined it. ”What does it do?”

”You simply put the tube in your mouth, press the button, and inhale as if you are using a smoke. I have it loaded with something called 'bubble-gum treat' flavored smoke,” P'Thok said, his own basic smoke keeping away the slight tang of misery pheromones.

The Matron followed P'Thok's instructions. She felt a sudden relief as the slight nagging feeling of being a failure left her and her own pheromones receded. The taste was absolutely delicious. She started to take another hit off it and looked at P'Thok.

”May I take more than one 'hit' off of it?” the Matron asked.

”The human who showed me how to use the device, on pain of death,” P'Thok lied about that part, ”Showed that you can inhale more and completely surround yourself with a thick cloud.”

The Matron inhaled deeply, exhaling through her legs as hard as she could.

The entire room filled with a cloud of vape smoke. It banished old lingering pheromones, wiped away scents of thoughts and discussions before.

The Matron rubbed her wings in shock. ”The humans have been keeping this from us?”

”Yes, oh Matron,” P'Thok said, exhaling his own smoke. The Matron approved of that. It let her senses know he was there, unlike pheromone maskers, but it was easier to handle.

”Then I hereby approve of your dangerous raid into human space,” she said. Her wings quivered slightly. ”First, they dare think they can wrest those valuable planets from us, deny us the cold warmth of the red sun and the soft feel of sand and the sweet smell of nitrogen, then they withhold two wondrous secrets?”

P'Thok nodded.

”I see more clearly than I have my entire life, P'Thok,” the Matron said. ”You were right. We must wrest this from the humans. We will commit this raid, show the humans that the Treana'ad are to be taken most seriously,” she paused for a moment. ”Then we will make our demands to them.”

P'Thok nodded slowly and the Matron approved of how solemn the human gesture looked.

”We will demand they cede control of the planets we desire, and give us the secrets of ice cream and smoke,” the Matron commanded.

”As you will, oh Matron,” P'Thok said. He saluted and began to leave.

”Oh, P'Thok,” the Matron called out.

P'Thok slowly turned, feeling fear but the smoke preventing the pheromones from being scented. ”Yes, oh Matron?”

”If your raid is successful, you and I shall breed,” the Matron said.

P'Thok wanted to scream and run away. He knew it would happen sooner or later. He was doomed!

”What kind was the third variant taste I tried with that sauce?” the Matron asked.

”Strawberry ripple with hard chocolate shell sauce,” P'Thok said.

”Mmm,” the Matron hummed, rubbing her wings in please. ”Bring that. It tastes better than your head ever could and the shell was pleasantly crunchy. And more of this liquid for my power smoker.”

”As you wish, Matron,” P'Thok said. He saw the Matron ignoring him, preferring to stare at the star chart. He hurried out, sagging slightly in relief as he walked down the hallway.

His men saw his relaxed saunter and knew that if P'Thok was that sure of the plan, there was no way it could fail.

Soon they would raid the Terrans and the secret of Ice Cream would be theirs!

As for himself, P'Thok raided the store rooms and made sure he took half of the power-smoker liquid.

After all, when a Matron has expressed interest in you, it never hurt to make preparations.

When the Mantid trader docked, their airlock cycled to open up to the umbilical and the Mantid crewmen stared in shock.

A huge Treana'ad warrior stood in the airlock, a cigarette in his mandbles and a plasma rifle in his hand.

”I believe you have my property,” P'Thok drawled out, just like the Terran in his favorite Tri-Vee show. He exhaled smoke and motioned with his plasma rifle. ”If you comply, you will come to no harm.”

The Speaker aboard the vessel weighed the chances. A cigarette smoking Treana'ad with a plasma rifle with at least a full military squad behind him could easily kill his entire crew. The Speaker cursed himself for not bringing a few warriors with him, but all of the warriors were being held back at the Hive Homes.

With a sigh the Speaker gave over command of his ship.

The Treana'ad warriors were unusually focused to the Speaker's psychic senses. The Matron was not the barely repressed ball of breeding urgency, but rather calm and focused on something.

It was strange.

And the Speaker didn't like strange.

He let the usually focused Treana'ad take his ship, trusting in their promises to return soon.

He watched as the ship vanished into jumpspace. He thought, for a second, about overwhelming the minds on the station and taking the Treana'ad ship, but changed his mind. Revealing his abilities now would ruins decades of planning.

-----------

Delmek-4 was a standard agricultural planet. They produced wheat, sorghum, corn, soybeans, alfalfa, potatoes, and tobacco. There were sheep, pig, cow, and other animal farms. Factories took the raw food and turned it to foodstuffs, from bread to steaks to mutton to ice cream to cigarettes. True, it was near the Treana'ad Disputed Zone, but it wasn't exactly a priority military target and the close proximity of Mestacalla and the Republic Navy base there at only 7 light years made sure they could scream for help.

P'Thok stood on the bridge, a cigarette in his mandibles, surrounded by the smell of bubble gum as the Matron stared at the planet below.

”You're sure this is the planet we want?” she asked, puffing on her power smoker.

”Positive,” P'Thok said confidently. He pointed at the two flattened container labels.

DELMEK ICE CREAM AND DAIRY CORPORATION was written on one.

MANUFACTURED ON DELMEK was on the other.

P'Thok removed the smoke from his mandibles and gestured with it to the pilot. ”Take us in for a landing and get ready.”

The Matron rubbed her wings together with glee.

And exhaled pink bubblegum vape across the bridge.

She had completely forgotten the burning, all consuming desire to breed.

”The secret of Ice Cream and Cigarettes will be ours!” she crowed.

P'Thok left the bridge, smoke in his mandibles, to gather his men.

A daring raid was waiting.