by Zara Zenia
Then just as quickly and without warning as he'd started to kiss her, he stopped. Oszul pulled away from her. Used his large hands to lightly push her back away from himself.
"What's wrong?" she asked with a breathy voice. She'd had the wind knocked out of her a little, honestly. Her knees felt weak. "Why did you stop?"
"I need to know something," he replied. He didn't sound as stern as he usually did when addressing her. But that tenderness she'd felt in his kiss was not present in his voice. Nor in the expression of worry on his face. Maybe he was already regretting his rash decision to kiss her. Was this all some complicated, cruel trick he was executing at her expense?
"What are you doing on the ship?" he demanded to know. Still his voice wasn't as hard sounding as usual. And his face was still soft. It was very puzzling.
Treasure found her face going red again. Anger was beginning to take over the feelings of intimacy, safety, and yes of arousal too. She wasn't going to let him know that she'd been ready to fall for him so quickly. It was just a stupid kiss. Get a hold of yourself. You're a Qetesh agent, not a school girl. "Which ship? This ship? You know perfectly well what I'm doing here. We're on a mission, aren't we?" She knew what he really wanted to know but had decided to be unhelpful.
"Stop playing games. Yes, there is a mission. That's why I sent you back to Less Prorr where you would be safe. What are you doing on the Scorpius?" he demanded to know.
"I'm the one playing games! What are you doing treating me like dirt, then suddenly grabbing me and kissing me. And why were you acting like you were so happy to see me? Now you're mad, I guess. Make up your mind and stop acting like a child," Treasure told him. She was getting madder and madder by the second.
"Please ... Treasure, just tell me what happened." His eyes were pleading. There was something going on in his mind, which he wasn't willing to express openly. Maybe he was just so used to being an unfeeling warrior that he didn't even know how to begin sharing his emotions. She felt sorry for him, just enough to level with him.
"Okay, fine. I snuck back on the ship with Kezon, because I desperately wanted to come to Vurt. You have no idea how much going on this mission meant to me. It's not like with you. You've been part of so many missions. I need to prove myself, and then, well that's all..."
"That doesn't sound like it's all," he said. "What do you really want to be here for? If there's something else going on with your orders and this mission—I need to know. No, I demand to know. Otherwise I will take you directly back to Less Prorr immediately."
"Will you let me stay if I tell you the truth?" She was starting to feel weak, helpless. This was too much for her to handle.
"Yes. I think I already know the answer though," he said with a smugness that immediately bothered her.
"I just wanted to be part of the mission. I've done so much training to be a good agent. Now you send me off to hide just because of a stupid threat. Being in danger is part of being in the military. You would never have sent away one of your own men."
"You are not one of my men. You're a Terran, and a female. I was worried for your safety, and the safety of your agents." His face softened and he looked genuinely concerned. Had he really just been trying to protect them? Was it possible that he didn't hate her?
"You have a funny way of showing it," she said.
"Funny? I don't find anything about this situation funny." He looked confused now. It had just been the wrong word to use.
"Not funny as in laughter. I meant that it's odd."
He smiled then said, "Well, I agree that your idea of humor is very odd. Are you sure about one thing though?"
"What?" She was aware that he'd edged slightly closer to her again. They were no longer touching. She looked down at his huge chest, where his heart was. With the space uniform he was wearing, she could still see his breathing at it rose and fell. She imagined what it might look like underneath the strong, delicate fabric if this uxormea Hjotts had were lighting up for her. Such a silly thing to be thinking about right then. He would know if that was happening to him. Oszul was not meant to be her mate, so this was all pointless.
"Are you sure you didn't join the mission to be near me?" he blurted out. Then he immediately regretted saying it—Treasure could read that reaction on his face very clearly. It was painfully clear.
"Oh, you really do think highly of yourself, don't you? Why would I want to come all the way to this frostbitten rock of a planet just to be near you? There are countless Hjott warriors on Jatra. Why would I chase after one who treats me so badly?"
"I ... am sorry for my behavior," his shoulders slumped, and he lowered his head. It was truly a sad thing to see from such a proud male. "It's not usual for us to, express our feelings about this kind of thing. You are aware of the situation with our women?"
"Yes, I am. It's awful. I know you don't have much experience with women, but that doesn't mean you can act like this. It's just not professional," she said. She'd been referring to treating her and the other Qetesh agents like second class citizens when they were meant to be honored guests of the Jatra palace.
"I don't have anything against women," he said.
"What? No, I didn't mean that. You can't treat your people's allies like this. Now that you bring it up though—you shouldn't be treating women like they're inferior either. I thought your race was meant to be advanced."
He folder her arms in front of her. If there was ever a time to give him a piece of her mind, this was definitely it. "Okay, and I can't deny what just happened between us." Again he had a sheepish look on his face, which was actually quite adorable. It really didn't suit such a huge muscular warrior.
"No, you can't deny it. I think that we need to have a serious talk about what just happened." Okay, she was trying to stay mad and give him a lecture. He wasn't making it very easy with the way he was looking at her. It was so pathetic yet endearing. "Is it even within the rules of your people, what you just did?"
"There are, certain guidelines surrounding this type of thing. It would not be looked upon kindly, if you were to make a complaint against me," said Oszul. "I'm willing to accept that though. I won't try to take back that I kissed you. And I am willing to admit that I was happy to see you safely on this ship."
"Then you're going to let me join the mission?" she asked. Treasure's heart started racing again, like it had been when they were kissing. Only this was a different type of excitement. She was aching to get out there and experience some action finally. To get to use her training the way it was intended.
"I can't let you join the mission just yet. We are going to make a move on the camp of the escaped prisoners. I came to the ship to send a mission for backup. In fact, would you be able to man the comm station on the Scorpius and keep me notified?"
Treasure rolled her eyes and pouted. "Oh great, you're going to try this again? Another little task to keep me out of the way. Just send me back to Less Prorr if that's all you're going to do."
Oszul shook his head rapidly and moved over to the comm station. "No, I swear on my honor. Moving back and forth between the Scorpius to check for messages is a lot of work. I have been doing it for the most part. I am overseeing the mission, but the rest of my crew are required at our temporary base for their specific roles. It's best that I am the one to do it. But now you're here, you can be of great help."
"I'll be helpful? Well, it's not exactly the kind of action I was hoping for. But I guess the military life isn't all about kicking butt ... Okay, I'll do it then." She was feeling reluctant, but everyone had to do their part. At least she wasn't being pushed out of the way of the mission. Treasure wasn't naive either. She still suspected that maybe Oszul was just trying to placate her. Especially since he was now evidently worried that she might tattle on him for his inappropriate move on her.
As she watched him leave the ship and board the ice-shuttle, she wished she was going too. The mountain path seemed like it was taking him away on an adventure. Meanwhile, she was jus
t going to be cooped up on a spaceship. It wasn't even flying through space anymore on the way to some far off place. It was just sitting there in an old dusty hangar. It was too cold for her to follow him now, and she didn't have any kind of vehicle that would be useful in following him up the path.
As the ice-shuttle went out of her vision, Treasure realized she was actually sad to see Oszul go now. The discovery that he had feelings for her—enough to kiss her—was elating. All this time, they could have been getting along so well. The entire mission up until this point could have been a joy for everyone involved. Instead, it had been stressful and upsetting. They had not needed to butt heads. Was it really all just because the stubborn Hjott military commander couldn't see how he really felt? Was he embarrassed? Maybe afraid of his true feelings, or to even have the feelings in the first place. Treasure knew what it was like to have feelings that scared her. She could sympathize with something like that. It made her feel fondly for him, which was bad now that he was gone again.
Why had she risked so much to come to Vurt, really? The whole situation would have been so much easier if they both were honest with each other. Maybe she needed to try to be more open about her feelings in the future. That was something that could really frighten a hardened military person, male or female.
Chapter 9
Oszul
On the way up the mountain path, Oszul couldn't stop thinking about what had happened. He was feeling a deep sense of guilt about leaving Treasure behind. What was his real motivation for asking her to stay on the Scorpius? Was it really the reason he had told her, about wanting her to monitor the comms? If that were true, then he could have just as easily had one of his other crew members do it.
Truthfully, he hadn't even taken the time to stop and think about his behavior. Also, what he'd done with her on the ship. That was something completely outside his nature. He had never grabbed a female, let alone a Terran, and kissed her. Oszul knew for a fact that he hadn't forced anything. He had a hunch that she secretly harbored a feeling of attraction for him. That's what had made him take the bold move in initiating the kiss.
He came up to the area where the ice-shuttle had to be left behind. His suit was still functioning properly and would keep him warm. He got out and began to trek on foot. Outside in the elements all alone, he felt the need to think about things even more deeply. What was going through his mind? His focus should have been utterly on the mission, and nothing else at all. But this Terran woman—this beautiful, alluring, sweet-tasting Terran woman. She had made it so he couldn't think properly. Was this what happened to people when they fell in love? But he wasn't in love. He barely knew her.
While he was moving along the trail on foot, he stopped for a moment. A thought suddenly came to him and he needed to take pause. He put his hand on his chest. There was something wrong with him. His breathing was bated, and it was almost like he had a burning sensation there. He'd been burned by fire in his life. Like most people, it happened at least once or twice through carelessness or an accident.
He unzipped his ice suit, only a little. While pulling the material away from his chest, his eyes felt like they were going to pop right out of his head. His uxormea was glowing! It was lit up, and that completely explained how he had been feeling. To think that the commander of the entire Jatra military could have been so blind. He didn't ever realize that his own uxormea had finally burst forth. And it had done so for a Terran woman!
This was big news, something to celebrate no doubt. He thought about turning back to share the new information with Treasure. Surely, she should be the first person to know? And if she really did have feelings for him, wouldn't she be happy about it? He didn't even know how he felt about it. There was no stopping fate though. If this was happening, it meant that he and Treasure were fated mated, bound by their DNA to be together for the rest of their lives. He could actually have a mate, one who wouldn't grow ill or die from frailness. They could have children together and she would survive at least as long as he did.
Oszul shook his head in disbelief. The icy wild was starting to freeze his skin worse than he'd noticed. He closed the ice-suit quickly. He wouldn't let the other Hjotts know about this, not until he could talk to Treasure about it. The smartest thing might be to keep this a secret for now. Until the mission was over at least.
"I have to tell her," he uttered to himself. The decision was made. It was the right thing to do. A message came through on his short range comm device. It was Dariux.
"Commander Oszul, are you there? I—" Dariux's voice was cut out by a burst of static. "—I repeat, we've been—"
Oszul grabbed his comm device and held it up higher. He was trying to improve the signal so he could continue the conversation. This did not sound good. Instantly, he imagined that his team had been attacked, perhaps slaughtered like rats in a cage down inside that ice-cave. They wouldn't have any way of getting out if a superior enemy force were to surprise them at the entrance.
He ran quickly, higher up the icy mountain pass. Finally he came to a spot where he was able to get higher up. He scrambled up some icy rocks that were jutting out of the snow and hardened white mountainside. "Dariux, repeat you message. I did not hear your message!"
"We've been compromised!" Dariux shouted. He was able to hear it this time, but Oszul wasn't happy with what he heard. His second in command, second Hjott anyway, sounded like he was winded. Dariux continued, "Our men are safe. A couple of goons found our camp. I am in pursuit of them now. One of them fled toward the escapee's camp. He'll be able to tell them where we are! I must stop him. Another, I don't know where he went. Some of our crew have split up to find that one."
Oszul worried about Treasure on the Scorpius. He didn't want to tell Dariux that she was present on Vurt. It was probably something he should know. Even saying it over the comm though, that might be picked up by the enemy. If they weren't already somehow aware there was a Terran on the planet, they then would be for sure. That other criminal might be headed directly to where Treasure was sitting all alone, with no idea she might be in danger.
"I'll look for the missing terrorist too," said Oszul. He closed off the communication signal and headed directly back to the ice-shuttle. He decided he should let her know, even if someone might possibly be listening in on their comms. It was better than just letting her be ambushed. When he tried to get in touch with the Scorpius, there was no answer.
He let out a frustrated and desperate shout and kept on running. He came upon the ice-shuttle and took off as quickly as possible. He feared that they must have surely discovered she was on the planet. The ice-shuttle vibrated violently. It wasn't designed to be driven at high speeds, let alone this fast on such a dangerous road.
Oszul pushed the humble machine to go as fast as possible. He was taking it up to its top speed, which wasn't much really. The icy path wasn't straight, and there was a very slippery surface below. The traction between the tires and the path was inconsistent. Even with the efficient snow tires that the shuttle used, he was having a hard time keeping the wheels from skidding when he had to turn and adjust his direction.
Again, he tried to contact the Scorpius. This meant using one hand to operate his comm device. The ice-shuttle nearly careened off the road into an embankment. That might have caused him to continue skidding over and down the side of the mountain he was partway up. Oszul didn't care about the danger he was putting himself in. His uxormea had burst forth for this woman, this Terran. If he let something bad happen to her, his life would be forever tainted. He needed to make sure that she was safe.
Still though, there was no answer. He couldn't get through. The signal seemed to be reaching the ship just fine. It was just that she wasn't picking it up. "Where are you?" he asked no one, wishing he was able to ask her.
As he finally pulled the ice-shuttle around a curve in the path, the Scorpius came into sight. Bringing the ice-shuttle as close as possible before jumping out, he began to search for any sign of her.
>
"Treasure! Where are you? I need to talk to you right now. It's not safe here for you!" No reply. Nothing at all. She wasn't in the bridge area, and not in the cargo area or any of the quarters. He kept expecting to find her every time he turned a corner. Soon though, he realized there were just no places left.
She really was nowhere on the ship. Oszul began to feel the worst sensation, like his heart was beginning to rip itself apart. Was this what love did to a person? He needed to find her. Treasure had to be safe.
Chapter 10
Treasure
Treasure wasn't happy about seeing Oszul leave here alone again. This was not what she'd envisioned when volunteering for the mission. To just be left alone like that? It would have been better to just remain on Jatra and continue routine stuff with her fellow Qetesh agents. At least she wouldn't have been sitting around on a ship overseeing a comm system.
It wasn't like anyone was going to contact them soon anyway. The anxiety was starting to get to her. Just sitting around, waiting, and waiting. And waiting! So she decided to go rummage around on the ship and look for something to keep her more occupied. There wasn't much to keep her mind occupied. She remembered that the suit she'd taken earlier was a specialized ice-suit. It could keep its wearer nice and cozy even in extremely low temperatures. What would it hurt to go outside just for a little while?
As she stepped foot off the Scorpius, Treasure promised herself that she wasn't going to go far. I'm not going exploring. This is just me getting some fresh air, that's all. She walked away from the entrance of the ship. The way her boots moved in the hardened ice was interesting. Treasure had never been in a place quite like this before. It was beautiful really. I'm still right by the comms device. I bet I could even hear it if a message came through from out here.