Surviving Zevus Mar by Chris Myers

The Aledan Hankura and his psi-mate Chelle are nearing the end of their journey on the Searching Star. The pair are telepaths that share a passionate, loving relationship. Hankura is Chief Medical's Officer and Chelle is a master Med-tech on the exploration ship.

The ship is captured by a Tregan invaders of Zevus Mar when it locks into orbit around the planet to give the crew along waited vacation. The takeover is violent and bloody. Hankura is forced to surrender or watch them kill his wife. He feels her anguish through their telepathic bond when she is later raped repeatedly and tortured. Each time he feels her torment he vows revenge, watching and waiting for his chance.

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Orin Hart was created of genetically engineered Tregan in fighting stock. He was stolen from the breeding program by his host mother and raised as a normal child. Tregan officials eventually found him and dragged him away in chains, forcing him to become one of their dog soldiers. Appalled by the atrocities of his fellow soldiers, Orin turns on them to save a little boy a and his governess from being murdered. The little boy Lanimer is the son of Hankura's old friend Mikal who was killed before Orin could stop them. Their paths eventually converge with Hankura's and Chelle's.

Nalina and Lanimer escape in a damaged hovercraft that leaves them stranded in the desert heat. Orin Hart rescues them and cares for them in the shelter of the pump house at a bombed out agricomplex.

Meanwhile, at the prison camp, the Tregans increase their torment of their captives, particularly the women. Chelle's best friend Kaara is tortured and murdered while she is being raped---yet again. Hankura feels her torment and her despair. He knows she is on the brink of either being killed or killing herself and he knows there's no more time. He makes is break by killing Stagg and Mograton the men responsible for tormenting Chelle.

He kills every Tregan soldier who gets in is way and collects their weapons. When he gets to the barracks where the crew women and the Zevian women are being held, he enlists their help in killing the guards then distributes the weapons he's collected among those women. Under his command they ambush the Tregans bringing their men back from the Verlian crystal mines. At that point, Captain Beras takes over and they make plans to steal a Tregan warship.

They make their escape only to be pursued by three Tregan warships that leave them dead in the sky. However the Kena Warrior, under Captain Sager, arrives just in time to save them. Hankura and Chelle find it a dubious rescue when an insensitive Med-tech entertains erotic fantasies about Chelle's rape and torture.

The psi-mates have a difficult time recapturing the closeness of their relationship as the memories of what they suffered at the hands of the Tregans continue to haunt them. Hankura is haunted by the memory of killing more men than he can count when he is a Physician sworn to preserve human lives. The memories and flashbacks affect both their emotional and sexual relationship.For a time they retreat from their telepathic connection and each other.

After the rescue they go back to Zevus Mar to help with the rebuilding in hopes they can rebuild their lives together. It takes time, but as they help their friends get through the aftermath of the Tregan invasion they begin to recover the intimacy of the relationship as their love for each other sustains them through it all.