by Petra Landon
She heard a soft chuckle from above her.
“I’ll dim the lights if you come out from under there” he offered.
“I know you can see in the dark” Sila muttered.
“Hmm … I wonder who told you that.”
“You did, Star Captain” she stuttered, disconcerted by his teasing.
“I did” he exclaimed in mock surprise. “Why would I do that?”
“Zh’hir” she gasped.
Who was this, Sila wondered in astonishment. She’d never seen this side of the Star Captain before.
“Aaah.” His voice was replete with satisfaction. “What is it you want, little Terran? I can never refuse you when you call out my name like this.”
Floored by this new avatar of the Star Captain, Sila uncovered one eye from under the blanket and dared a peep. Gold eyes suffused with teasing laughter tangled with the daring green one.
“Perhaps you would like a shower” he said, taking pity on her.
Sila nodded vigorously from under her blanket, not trusting her voice yet.
“I’ll turn my back” he offered. “You can wrap the blanket around you.”
Like the time in his rest-chamber, lay the unspoken words between them. Sila rolled over to slide out from the other side of the bed. She made sure to wrap the blanket around herself, only to note that the bathing enclosure lay at the other end of the large chamber. Skirting the wide bed, she paused to pick up her trousers, unaware that an edge of the blanket trailed behind her. Sila had almost made it to the bathing enclosure when she felt a tug on the blanket. Tightening her clasp on it, she took a deep breath to turn and face him.
The Star Captain held up the edge of the trailing blanket.
“Just one question” he said quietly, a thread of seriousness replacing his light-heartedness.
“Any regrets?” he asked bluntly, the gold eyes sober.
She looked confused, unsure of what he was asking.
“About last night” he explained.
Sila’s eyes skittered away from him. Did she regret it, she pondered? She had felt a little in over her head, a tad overwhelmed by the flare of passion and his raw brand of desire. No one had ever made her feel this way; no one had even come close. Except this big exotic alien from a far corner of the galaxy, who she’d grown to trust with her life when everything familiar had suddenly been stripped away. No, she had no regrets.
Sila shook her head mutely.
“I’m glad” he responded. “We will talk after you shower.”
When Sila returned, fresh from the shower, she was composed, her mind protected again. She glanced around the chamber curiously. In the brighter light, the chamber looked expensive with its rich furnishings and the bright piliken bedspread. It was clear that the Ur’quay Captain was an honored guest on the Juntafeyore.
The Star Captain put down the tablet in his hand and strode to her.
“This is an Ur’quay communicator.” He pointed to the band that circled his bicep over the black Hadari’Kor uniform.
Somewhat puzzled by the statement, Sila fixed her eyes on him. His gesture gave her déjà vu vibes, reminding her about their first meeting in the holding cell of his starship.
“One will be sent for you from the Henia” he explained. “Commander Jolar will set it up and show you how to operate it. I will contact you on the Ur’quay communicator.”
Sila took in his impassive face, with nary a hint of teasing or amusement. His time on the Juntafeyore was coming to an end, she realized. Nothing, no hint of his emotions, drifted to her — his powerful mental barriers were back in place. Yet, he had given her a brief glimpse of a different male, worlds apart from his usual unreadable and inscrutable self. And while she did not regret it, Sila couldn’t help wonder about it.
“In a few hours, we will rendezvous with the Henia where Zoran and I will disembark. The Hadari’Kor will take you to an Alliance Training Facility. They are expecting you, Sseela. Settle in and start talking to Elder Arturo and the Terran Council about the first supply of crops. Get me the list of goods they want in trade as soon as you can. I will recall an Ur’quay starship back to Sector Araloka. It will take them a few weeks to make the journey. Once the terms of the barter have been negotiated, I want you to work on the logistics of transporting the crops.”
“Any questions for me?” he prompted, as Sila remained silent.
“If I want to get in touch with you …” she hesitated.
“Call the Juntafeyore and ask for me. If they cannot patch me through, leave a message and they’ll make sure I get it. Do you know the communicator ID for Zoran’s ship?” he asked her.
“Yes, it’s in the list Commander Jolar provided me.”
He studied her silently. “I will be gone for some months. At first, you might not hear from me very often.”
Despite her efforts to remain composed, Sila’s eyes reflected concern. His words sounded ominous to her — this was not about laying low to hide the Ur’quay presence in Sector Araloka.
“I won’t be far” he said softly.
Unmollified by the assurance, questions crowded her mind. But Sila hesitated. He was back to his impassive self even as the memories drowned her.
He held out his hand to her, adding to the sense of déjà vu for Sila. She placed her hand in the webbed palm. His thumb stroked the smaller hand in his in a quicksilver caress, before he tugged her to the bed.
Sila perched on the edge of the bed, her hands clasped nervously in her lap. He remained standing, his pensive gaze on her.
“Sseela” he said her name in his unique way.
Sila raised her head slowly to meet his gaze. The gold eyes contemplated her soberly.
“You are about to embark on the journey to build yourself a new future. You will stumble, make mistakes and learn from them, Sseela. That is as it should be. I wish you luck, knowing you will succeed. Just remember that I’m always at the other end of a communicator. If you are ever in need, don’t hesitate to call me.”
Warmth flooded Sila, but confusion held her mute.
After a moment of silence, he came down on his haunches before her.
“I want you to do something for me, Sseela.”
Sila agreed promptly. Leaning forward to place an arm on either side of her on the bed, he brought their faces closer.
“While you make a fresh start towards a new future, I want you to think about us” he said quietly.
Sila straightened, her eyes on him.
“You and I, and a future together. I want you and I’m willing to do whatever it takes to make you mine. But first, I must know what you want.”
Her eyes widened.
“I’m giving you plenty of time to make up your mind” he continued, the guttural tones very pronounced. “So be very sure of what you want, little Terran. If you come to me, it will have to be forever. I’m not sure that I can walk away if you change your mind later.”
Reeling at the frank confession and his intensity, Sila merely stared at him speechlessly.
“You are surprised” he exclaimed with a self-deprecating grimace. “I wanted you from the moment I laid eyes on you. Even though I knew that it was not meant to be. Not then.”
The gold eyes held her shocked gaze. “When we struck an agreement with the Alliance, I had a plan. One day, in the not too distant future, when Commander Kerovac announced the Ur’quay’s return to Sector Araloka, I would head to your world. Would you have come to me if I’d knocked on your door one day, months later? Or would you have forgotten me by then, little Terran?”
Despite the whimsical note in his voice, Sila roused herself to answer him.
“No.” He placed his thumb carefully on the lips she’d parted to respond. “Don’t answer that. I’m not ready to hear the answer yet.”
Her lips trembled at the butterfly caress and his eyes flashed to the lush lips. Sila’s heart thumped at the look in the gold eyes.
“I told myself that you would not affect me like t
his unless you were meant for me” he admitted, his voice hoarse and a tad unsteady. “The High Mountain Deity would never be so cruel.”
They stared at each other, the silence in the chamber absolute. Sila felt as if her world had turned upside down. And she had considered banishment from Terra Agri a life-changing event, a stunned Sila reminded herself.
As the confusion and consternation in the green eyes registered with him, Zh’hir took a deep breath and forced himself to disengage slowly. He sat back, putting some distance between them, reminding himself of his pledge. Her life had been destroyed once by Ur’quay actions. He would not forgive himself if history repeated itself.
“You deserve to think this through with a clear head, Sseela” he said to her.
Sila did not register his last words. Not then. She was to remember them later. Wrenching her gaze away from the intent gold eyes, she tried to gather her scattered thoughts. Confusion reigned rampant in her as she grappled with his blunt admission. She had never given any thought to a future with him. Even in her wildest dreams! How could she? He came from a world far away; his people very different from the races in her corner of the galaxy. His mission in Sector Araloka was temporary and dangerous. The Ur’quay were to fight on the side of the Alliance in the war against the Empire. Where would she live if they were together? She could not even reside on his starship for fear that she’d be detected breaking their strict laws with her stray thoughts.
The Star Captain placed a blunt finger under her chin to raise her head. He waited until her green eyes locked onto his.
“Don’t worry about any of that” he declared firmly. “Just give the word and I will take care of everything.”
He searched Sila’s face, noting the anxiety and uncertainty in her.
“If you agree to be mine, I will move heaven, hell and everything in between to make it happen” he promised, his voice a caress.
Sila read the myriad emotions that flashed through the exotic gold depths — yearning, hunger, entreaty and promise.
Can we be together? Is it even possible. What if our species’ turn out to be incompatible.
“There are physiological differences between us, Sseela” he acknowledged gruffly. “Yet, I go up in flames around you. It would be a cruel joke if our species were not compatible. The High Mountain Deity would never be that unkind.”
Sila flushed at the frank words. Yes, he had made the flame part clear. It continued to astonish her. From everything she knew about him, she had not thought him to be so raw and blunt about his desires.
“I will ask the Hadari’Kor medic to check us for inter-species compatibility, if you are agreeable, Sseela?” he asked. “He might take a few scans of you.”
Sila agreed mutely. She wanted to know, she realized. No point weaving dreams in the air if there was no foundation to sustain them.
A short silence descended between them, though neither made a move to back away, she on the bed and he on his knees before her, their eyes on each other.
“High Mountain Deity?” she queried eventually, her eyes drinking in his exotic features.
“Similar to the one you call Goddess.”
“Goddess Xanthila” Sila explained. “She watches over our crops. We believe her blessings to be indispensable for good harvests.”
“High Mountain Deity is our name for Ixti’hir. He was once a legendary warrior and we believe that his soul resides on the highest mountain on Ur’Qia to watch over all warriors. It is with his blessings that all Ur’quay fight.”
t
“Dr. Uish.” The junior medic was apologetic, loath to disturb the busy doctor in the small office ensconced in the spacious Medic Bay.
Dr. Uish looked up from tabulating the results of his latest experiment. The state-of-the-art Medic Bay was the main reason the Lopordian doctor had been tempted to the Juntafeyore. Hadari’Kor did not produce many doctors and the Captain had wanted a good one for his mercenaries. An assurance by the Hadari’Kor Captain that serving aboard the Juntafeyore would not preclude him from pursuing his research and academic interests had gone a long way in helping the doctor make the decision. True to Zoran’s word, a Medic Bay with the latest tech had been made available to the Lopordian. Hadari’Kor might earn their livelihood as mercenary soldiers but the doctor had discovered early on that the Captain ran a very tight ship. Even with their frequent engagements, it meant that the doctor had plenty of time to work on his research.
“The Ur’quay Captain would like a word with you” the junior medic informed him with a hint of curiosity in his young voice.
Dr. Uish hid his surprise to ask the young medic to usher his guest in. Like all the senior staff on the Juntafeyore, he had been introduced to the Star Captain. But the doctor knew little about the Ur’quay male.
“Dr. Uissh” the Ur’quay Captain greeted him, elongating the s sound in his unique way. “Thank you for seeing me. I would like a few moments in private.”
“Of course.”
The doctor closed the door to his small hideaway to ensure their privacy.
“Do you have technology to verify if two different species are compatible?” the Star Captain inquired without beating around the bush.
“Compatible?” the puzzled doctor repeated, not having expected this question from the Ur’quay warrior.
“For mating” the Star Captain said bluntly.
Dr. Uish blinked rapidly, somewhat less puzzled by the query though still confused by the person making it. Ur’quay had access to more advanced medical technology and know-how than anyone in this sector.
“If the species are native to Sector Araloka and I’m familiar with their physiology, then it is an easy process” the doctor responded carefully, trying to make his answer as precise as he could.
“One is Ur’quay” the Star Captain stated in his usual uncompromisingly direct manner.
“With some anatomical scans and blood, I should be able to determine physiological compatibility” Dr. Uish confirmed with growing confidence, as he understood that the Ur’quay Captain was asking a personal question, rather than making an esoteric inquiry related to his species. “Genetic compatibility to produce offspring is a tougher art, especially for species that are very different.”
“Biological compatibility is sufficient” the Star Captain remarked impassively. “I am aware that offspring is a very different matter.”
“If you’ll follow me to Medic Bay for the scan and blood work, I’ll have an answer for you soon.”
“I’d appreciate it if you would keep this matter confidential, Dr. Uissh” the Star Captain said evenly.
“I’ll take care of it personally, Star Captain. No one will hear about it” the doctor assured him with a sharp inclination of his head. Dr. Uish, no fool, now comprehended why the Star Captain had come to him, rather than approach an Ur’quay medic aboard his own starship.
“Thank you. Please take your time with the results, Dr. Uissh. I am in no hurry.”
The doctor acknowledged the words with another formal nod of his head. He attempted to hide his natural curiosity by using his blandest bedside manner with his next query.
“What species would you like me to check Ur’quay compatibility with, Star Captain?”
“With Sseela Gatherer, the Terran we rescued from Keeyor 9.”
Nine
One month later
A discreet trill cut the silence in the darkened chamber. The sleeping figure stirred, to reach drowsily for the device by the bed.
“Sseela.” A familiar growly voice called to her through the darkness.
“I told myself that you would not affect me like this unless you were meant for me.”
“What is it you want, little Terran? I can never refuse you when you call out my name like this.”
“Want to taste you, Sseela.”
His voice echoed in her head, as it had relentlessly in the weeks of his absence. As did the warning Sila had been unable to deliver the first time around.
<
br /> “Star Captain” she whispered groggily. “Be careful please — you’re breaking Ur’quay law.”
There was an instant of silence.
“What law would that be?” came the careful response.
“Your thoughts are drifting my way” she warned.
A soft chuckle echoed in the darkness.
“I’m on the communicator, little Terran.” The hint of laughter in his voice was pronounced.
Sila’s eyes snapped open, as sleep fled unceremoniously. She had been dreaming of him so often in the past weeks that in her grogginess, it had been natural to assume this to be yet another dream. Her eyes shot instinctively to the Ur’quay device by the bed where she’d placed it for the night. The tiny light blinked steadily, an indication that the communicator channel was active. On the station, she made sure to keep the device on her at all times, even sleeping with it beside her at night. Commander Jolar and an Alliance technician had helped tie the Ur’quay communicator into the audio speakers of her chamber on TF124, the Alliance Training Facility she now resided on. With her COM plugs discarded, the Ur’quay communicator had connected to the chamber’s speakers.
“Star Captain” she gasped, sitting up hurriedly. “I … um sorry …” Sila stuttered in confusion.
“I’m sorry to wake you, Sseela” he apologized. “It must be night on the station.”
“No, it’s fine” she assured him hastily, reaching for the arm-band embedded with the communicator, to bring the microphone closer. “I’ve been waiting to hear from you, Star Captain.”
“I received the list of goods the Terran Council wants in trade” he acknowledged. Sila had transmitted the list to the Juntafeyore to pass on to him.
Sila and Elder Arturo’s hard work with the Council of Elders had finally paid off in the last week. The Council had agreed to trade their produce to the Alliance. With a broad agreement in place, negotiations for the Terran’s upcoming crop had commenced in earnest.
“The Council finalized it this week” Sila explained. “And Elder Arturo communicated the list to me.”