by Lea Kirk
Storo cantered to a stop and scented the air. “Your sister is near.”
“What about Kelly?” Nick asked, stopping next to them, panting. He met her gaze and raised his eyebrow. The unspoken question was clear, was she all right? She gave him a nod.
“I know not her scent,” Storo replied, “but there are several strangers about. The Profeta is the closest, I recommend we join her.”
Nick nodded. “Lead on.”
It took less than three minutes for Storo to find Alex crouched behind a large wall of grey rock. She didn’t seem surprised by their appearance, which probably meant they had been seen by Gryf and he had alerted her. Their telepathy did give them a decided advantage over Kelly’s group.
“They are in the gully arguing,” Alex whispered. “Everyone else is almost in position.”
Nick’s hand patted a gun-shaped lump in his coat pocket. “We only have one telum, courtesy of the stooge who tried to kill me, and Storo’s barb bow.”
Sakura slid out of the sling and peeked around the rock. Alex was right; a group of people stood in the ravine below and they were definitely arguing about something. She moved back before anyone spotted her. “I do not think one’s going to be enough, Nick. There are at least twenty people down there.”
“We have two.” Alex held up another telum.
Nick’s eyebrows raised. “Of course. I should have known you’d have your telum.”
Alex’s sidelong look was full of mock-contempt. “Do you know who the hell I am?”
He rolled his eyes. “Whatever, Princess.”
Their comfortable banter even under these circumstances proved that the preceding years apart had not destroyed their relationship. A small twinge of regret tweaked Sakura’s heart. She would never have that relationship with her little brothers now, but it was good Nick had his sister. She gave his arm a light punch. “You two are talking more than a double patrol of Anferthians. Maybe you can talk up a plan to get those people down there in handcuffs.”
A wide grin split Nick’s face and a warm, fuzzy feeling invaded her core.
“There is a plan, actually,” Alex said. “I’m just waiting for the signal from Gryf.”
“Too bad you’ll never get it.”
Sakura’s heart jumped in her chest at the sound of an unfamiliar man’s voice from above. She squinted at the stranger standing at the crest of the rock wall. In his hands was a compact machine gun.
“Toss those alien contraptions out in the snow or I put a bullet in your Geisha doll’s head.”
Her mouth popped open. He did not just say that, did he?
Nick stood up slowly, his hands out to his side. That one movement placed him between her and the promised bullet.
“Do it now, Bock,” the man warned
“Which Bock?” Nick asked.
The man scowled. “Both of you.”
In her peripheral vision, Sakura sensed a barely perceptible motion. Storo’s barb bow crept upward.
Nick glanced at Alex. “You’re the eldest. You first.”
“I don’t think so. You toss yours, then I’ll toss mine.”
Were they really arguing over who would toss their weapon away first?
“C’mon, Alex, just do it.”
“Cut it out, both of you,” the man snapped, “or I’ll take all of you out in one pass.”
Alex sighed. “All right. We do it together. Count of three. One…two….”
~*~
“…three.”
Nick turned and dove at Sakura, his weight carrying her backward. A slight twang and hiss of air followed by a grunt confirmed that Storo’s dart had found its target. The gully erupted with Anferthian war cries and gunfire.
In the distance a woman’s voice shouted in English, “Stand your ground!” It had to be Kelly, because it sounded nothing like Alex. He turned his head to see who was nearby, but there was no one. Alex was gone, Storo was gone. Only the dead guy with the barb bow dart in his temple was nearby. Shit, he was missing all the action. But there was no way he was taking Saku into the fray, and he couldn’t leave her here unprotected like a sitting duck. Talk about a no-win scenario.
If she’d just listened and stayed at the cube with Flora, but no. What had he been thinking, caving in so easily to her demands?
“Nick, you idiot, get off me. You could get shot.” Her hands pushed at his chest.
“Just stay down this time, Saku. This shouldn’t take long.” Already the sound of weapons fire had slowed. There was still a lot of shouting from the other side of the rock though, most of it Anferthian. That had taken less time than he’d expected.
“I am serious.” She wiggled, clearly trying to get out from under him.
There was only one way to keep her still. He clasped her head between his hands and caught her lips with his, slowly drawing her lower lip into his mouth. It seemed to work because she instantly stilled then opened her mouth, her tongue probing with blatant eagerness. He should be paying attention to what was happening around them, but damned if he could. Not with her body so soft under him or her sweet breath mingling with his. And certainly not with all his blood rushing to one particular body part. Again.
He thrust his tongue deep to explore every centimeter of her mouth. God, if only they were back at their cube, he would explore more than just her mouth. He’d peel off her clothes one piece at a time, kissing each bit of flesh as it was exposed until she had nothing on but her panties. Those he’d remove with his teeth, as he’d wanted to do for a while now. After he pulled them over her toes, he’d drop them on her belly and lower his head between her legs.
“Do it,” a feminine voice murmured.
Yes, he would. Then he’d….
The tail of his coat lifted and something frigid slid over his lower back. “Holy shit!” He hastily rolled off Sakura and scrambled to his feet, his hands trying to shake the snow from under his coat. “God dammit, Storo.”
Booming laughter erupted, mixed with his sister’s snickers. He directed what he hoped was a threatening glare at both of them. “You two suck.”
He offered his hand to Saku, who was sitting up in the snow, and pulled her to her feet. The pink on her cheeks was probably not just from the cold. He slid his arm across her shoulders and she leaned into him.
“For you, I felt bad that you missed the action in order to protect our little blossom,” Storo grinned. “Now, not so much. Perhaps I misjudged where the true danger was for her.”
“Very funny. What happened?”
“A few injured dissenters,” Alex reported. “The only loss of life was in Kelly’s group. Four total. Kelly is alive, but not talking.”
“Haesi?”
Alex’s mouth flattened into a straight line and she shook her head. “I doubt she was ever on Matir anyway.”
That was disappointing. He glanced down at Saku. “The committee will want a full report, and we have a few things to discuss before they viscomm us.”
~*~
Two days later, Nick faced the viscomm wall from his seat next to Sakura at the conference room table. K’rona and Storo flanked them on each side. The rest of the committee had commed in from their various locations.
Sakura had given her report on the successful re-creation of atolce to the committee, and they’d unanimously approved the immediate mass production of the contraceptive for the dissenters. Judging by the pleased expressions of the images on the wall, things in their little worlds had wrapped up nice and neat. Weren’t they all in for a surprise.
“Healer Bock, Disipula Yamata,” Administer Corvus beamed, “on behalf of the Matiran people and the members of this committee, I thank you for your diligent work in finding a resolution for this matter. This crisis has been averted. You are relieved of your duty to the dissenters, and are to report to the Collegium in three days to finish Disipula Yamata’s training.”
Here goes nothing. Nick leaned forward a fraction. There wa
s no way to predict the committee’s response to their plan. “Administer Corvus, honored members of the committee, Disipula Yamata and I decline your generous offer. We choose to stay with the dissenters.”
The stunned silence lasted all of two heartbeats before Corvus said, “This is unacceptable. You are ordered to return immediately.”
“Wait.” Ambassador K’nil’s voice was low yet commanding, demanding the attention of the others. “I would hear Healer Bock and Disipula Yamata’s reasoning.”
Nick wet his lips with his tongue, casting a glance at Dante’s image. His friend remained silent, his arms folded across his chest and a pleased expression on his face. Clearly, he’d expected this to happen. That, in Nick’s mind, counted as full support. “We are fyhen.”
K’nil’s black eyes glittered, then he nodded. “Indeed you are.”
“I object,” Administer Corvus said. “The crisis is over. Disipula Yamata needs to complete her training. To keep two such highly Gifted healers monopolized is a disservice to others in need.”
She did have a point, but the dissenters needed them more. He laced his fingers together and rested his hands on the table. “When we first met with the committee, Ambassador K’nil told us he believes the dissenters are vital to our future. If that’s true, then they need medical care, which until we arrived they didn’t have. I’m not sure why this was the case, but we can discuss that later. They’re not going to trust just any healer to come in a provide it, but they do trust us.
“Also, you’ve kept their location secret for a long time, but Haesi Velo is out there now, and she knows where they are. We’d be delusional if we believed she wouldn’t sell that info to the highest bidder.”
“Or she might come back after them herself,” Sakura added.
Corvus sat straighter. “And you would be in her way. No, I will not approve any action which could see you both destroyed. You are too valuable to both our peoples.”
“I think it is a brilliant idea,” Ora said.
Thank god. He’d hoped she’d be in their corner.
“Explain, Captain Solaris,” K’nil prompted.
“I am acquainted with Haesi, worked with her on a few occasions while we served in the Guardian Fleet.” Ora tapped one fingernail against her desk aboard the Sparta. “Her mind is multi-faceted, and she has a great capacity for patience. She sees the long range goal and holds on to it. To her, instant gratification means very little.
“I have no doubt she suspects Nick and Sakura had a hand in healing the dissenters of the contaminant she created, so she will naturally conclude that the power they carry is stronger than any healer of our age. As long as they are at the sanctuary, she is unlikely to bother the dissenters again. Too risky. Also, she will be reticent to go after our healers because the dissenters have claimed them as their own. As we all know, Anferthians protect their own better than anyone could. To the death if necessary. Truly, the sanctuary is the safest place in the galaxy for them.”
“I agree with Captain Solaris,” Dante said. “Haesi will seek other ways to undermine the peace we are trying to maintain. We will need to be vigilant.”
Ambassador K’nil leaned back in his office chair. “I too agree with the captain, and I suspect K’rona and Storo do as well.”
K’rona nodded. “We do, your honor.”
“Nick,” Dante drew Nick’s attention.
“I know, Magister. My master healer status, right?”
Dante nodded.
“Sakura and I have already discussed this with your magister, Master Healer Klotho. As the chancellor of the Collegium, she is willing to send a qualified magister to oversee our individual training requirements.”
Regret flashed in Dante’s eyes. “I am sorry it cannot be me.”
“So are we, Dante.” The three of them would have been the dream team, but Dante’s priority was to oversee the New Damon Beach infirmary and satellite campus. It had been his brainchild, intended to insure he would be the one in charge of training him and Alex. He’d also helped Sakura build a solid foundation. “But there will be other Terrian healers eventually, and they will need your guidance as much as we did.” And Alex would still be there with him.
In his peripheral vision he caught the motion of Sakura’s hand swipe her cheek. He reached down and covered her other hand with his.
Dante nodded and Nick turned his attention back to Administer Corvus. She looked like she’d eaten a lemon.
The Matiran Administer shook her dark head. “I cannot abide by this.”
Time for the trump card, which she’d probably figured out already and was hoping no one would bring it up. “Four of the five committee members, plus both your healers, agree that leaving Sakura and I here is acceptable, Administer. That’s a majority.”
Corvus pursed her thin lips and nodded. “Well played, Healer Bock. It seems we have no choice. However, I still must register my strong objections to this action.”
That was about all she could do. “It’s your right, Administer.”
“Your reservations have been noted, Administer,” Ora said. “One final point before we close. We do not know if the Arruch have determined the location of the sanctuary. The fleet is closely monitoring the situation. There is discussion regarding future protection from the fleet for our dissenters. I will be in touch with K’rona regarding all progress and decisions on this issue.”
“Our gratitude to you, Captain,” K’rona said, inclining her head.
“Unless there’s anything else, I move to close this meeting.” Ora paused.
“Actually, there is one more thing.” Nick raised their joined hands above the table for everyone to see and pressed his lips to Sakura’s knuckles. “Sakura and I would like to personally invite each of you to our wedding next month.”
Ora’s triumphant laugh was unexpected, as was Dante’s groan. K’nil grinned. “I shall transfer the credits as soon as this meeting is over, Captain.”
Say what? Nick gaped at them. They had wagered on this?
“As will I,” Dante said.
“Wait.” This was unreal. “You placed bets on our wedding?”
“Only on when you would announce yourselves,” Ora said. “Truly, Nick, you act like you did not expect this to occur.”
He hadn’t, but clearly he should have.
Ambassador K’nil chuckled. “My congratulations to you both. I will be in touch, but for now I declare this meeting closed. All in favor?”
Epilogue
Nick drifted peacefully in that blissful state between sleep and awake, Sakura’s body pressed warm against his as they spooned. Wife. He allowed the word to float around his drowsy mind. It was a word to savor, to treasure, just like the memories from last night. It’d been worth the month of headaches involved for two Terrians to plan a traditional Anferthian style wedding. It was a meaningful ceremony for them and for the dissenters, strengthening the bonds between them. Although, he had been skeptical about drinking ryma again. But, as Storo had promised, it didn’t have the same one-two punch as the first time.
Then there was making love to Saku for the first time as his wife. That had been as close to magical as he could imagine. He hadn’t been able to come three times in succession like an Anferthian in full frenzy mode, but he’d gone four rounds before dawn. That was noteworthy. His arousal stirred and he stroked his fingers over her belly, a soft sigh from her his reward. Maybe there was time for round five before breakfast.
Sakura launched from the bed in an explosion of blankets and sheets jacking his heart rate up to off-the-charts levels. “Wha…?”
She was gone, her pleasantly round bottom disappearing into the bathroom. Well, when you gotta go, you gotta go. He pulled the blankets back up to help retain some of the heat for her whenever she came back.
The sound of retching propelled him out of bed and into the bathroom. Sakura sat on the floor gasping over the toilet. What a lousy time for her to be sic
k. He glided his hand over her back, for what it was worth. It always seemed to help him when he was a kid and his mom sat with him.
“I’m all right,” she panted. “Probably just food poisoning.”
He grabbed the washcloth in the shower and wiped her face. Another tried and true Mom technique. “If I had cooked last night I might believe it, but I didn’t, and we ate the same thing.”
She shrugged. “Maybe it is stomach flu then. Help me back?”
“You got it.” He gave her a glass of water to rinse her mouth, then lifted her off the floor and carried her back to bed. “Let’s check and see what’s going on, shall we?”
“You sound like a doctor.”
“Can’t imagine why. Now, shh. I need to listen.” He placed one hand over her stomach and he extended his senses. Things were definitely loud and agitated inside her, like a noisy little factory. Something was different, new. It almost sounded like she had an extra…. Astonishment filled him and he opened his mouth, closed it, then met her worried gaze. “It’s not food poisoning.”
She groaned. “I am sick then. What do I have?”
He cleared his throat. “The forty-week flu.”
“What is that?” She shook her head, denial in her eyes. “You mean I am going to be sick for forty weeks?”
“God, I hope not.” He took her hand and placed it on her lower abdomen. “Check it.”
She did and her eyes nearly popped out of her head. “The atolce …?”
“Didn’t work.”
“I am pregnant. How is that even possible? Oh, no.” She slapped her hands over her mouth. “Nick…the Anferthians.”
A large rock seemed to settle in his stomach. If the atolce was defective, there’d be more than one baby born soon. He reached for his comm on the nightstand and gave it a tap. “Storo Z’bel.”
“Please tell me you do not need help getting your clothes off, little man.” Storo’s amused, sleepy voice drifted from the comm moments later.
Nick glanced at Sakura and grimaced. If Storo could see him standing naked next to the bed he’d probably laugh. “You’re such an ass.”