by Terri Lane
“Have faith in your ability to heal. Your hands have a gift and you can do more than simply operate,” he said in response. “Don’t forget the power of your voice.”
It made Lena smile wider as tears came to her eyes, reminding her of how she was humming in the operating room.
“Thank you, Dr. Warren. I need to run a vitals check. Let me know when I can come look through those files,” said Lena.
“Yes, ma’am. Take care,” said Dr. Warren.
“You, too,” said Lena.
When she got off the phone, she stood from the chair and stretched briefly before checking Trevor’s vitals. Déjà vu struck her while she leaned over his body. A rush of images filled her mind of the first time they had made love, of the way his hands had gently curved over her hips and gripped her skin. The skin of her thighs twitched at the thought.
“Oh, Trevor. Please, come home,” she whispered through quivering lips.
It took all of her strength not to break down at that moment, her intense feelings causing her to feel nauseous. She felt like she was about to vomit. As she ran to the bathroom, Trevor opened his eyes and blinked a few times. The room appeared shiny as he returned to the world of consciousness, the sun filtering through the window. It seemed brighter than usual. Clouds of smoke no longer blocked the light, allowing the sun to bathe the Earth in healing rays of orange and yellow. It was the most beautiful thin he’d ever seen besides Lena’s face.
Lena returned from the bathroom to see Trevor awake, rushing to the bed to wrap her arms around him. Trevor groaned.
“I’m sorry!” she said through happy tears. “I’m just happy that you’re finally awake!”
Sobbing, Lena pressed her cheek to his and stroked his hair, breathing in the scent of his skin. She didn’t care that he was covered in sweat and needed a bath. It was him. His scent would always be her greatest memory.
“Oh, Lena...” Trevor croaked. “Thank you.”
He knew she had taken care of him. Her dedication and affection brought him out of darkness and back into light, love leading the way. Happy tears streamed down his face as he stroked her cheek. Lena pulled back to look into his tears, absorbing every bit of affection from his gaze and smiling.
“I have a surprise for you,” she whispered.
Trevor smiled, his throat dry from being asleep for three days. Noticing his discomfort, Lena picked up the cup of water next to the bed and allowed him to drink from the straw. It quenched his thirst and he smiled with gratitude.
“What is that?” he asked.
Lena bit her lower lip. The smile on her face beamed bright in the afternoon light as she pulled a plastic pen from her pocket, holding it up in his line of vision. A blue happy face greeted him on the display to which he yelled triumphantly.
“We’re having a baby,” said Lena through a smile.
The overwhelming joy made Trevor weep, reaching his human arm out to embrace the love of his life. The war was over and the aliens were gone. They could live another day in peace amidst their earthly comrades. Now that they were having a baby, they could truly live the life they had imagined during the invasion. It inspired Trevor to be more than a commander in the Navy, more than a machine bred to cause mayhem and win wars. He wanted to change the world and inspire peace, giving up the life of violence that he had once led. The two kissed in the afternoon light, intermittently laughing and crying as their lips danced together. Delight radiated from their bodies as they cuddled under the sheets. Love had kept them alive.
Love had won the battle.
THE END
= Bonus Book 11 of 20 =
Crash Into Me
The spaceport was bustling. Junior Intergalactic Alliance Ambassador Polina Marsh pulled the grey hood of her cloak further down over her face, hoping to blend into the teeming crowd that swirled around her.
The West Public spaceport wasn’t her normal port. IA Ambassadors, even junior ones, had the privilege of travelling on official ships that docked at reserved, highly secure government ports. It was a bit shocking for Polina to be mixed in with the general populace as they shoved and pushed in their haste to get to their own transports. She hadn’t travelled with gens—members of the general population—in over ten years, since she’d first enrolled at the IA Academy at age eighteen. She’d forgotten how unpleasant it was.
“Excuse me,” a burly Venutian grunted as he bumped Polina hard with his hefty shoulder. Polina nodded in return, grimacing under her hood as she rubbed her own shoulder. Venutians were a plated species, and even the smallest collision with one of their rock hard limbs left a bruise.
The crowd was full of citizens from almost every planet in the galaxy, a sea of different hued skins and strangely shaped bodies. Most were humanoid, like Polina, but a few anomalies stuck out here and there: a tentacled Octarion, a group of towering Rock Giants from Delphine Six, a pack of small, rodent-like Scarrions.
Polina glanced around and pulled her hood even lower. She was typical looking for a human female—average height, brown hair, brown eyes, fair skin—but it wouldn’t do her any good to be recognized at this port. Junior IA Ambassadors were not supposed to be using public spaceports and they certainly weren’t supposed to be boarding a ship and meeting with Dardassyian ambassadors. If she was caught, her political career could be over before it even properly started.
Polina sighed. This was such a terrible idea.
Across the port, she finally spotted what she was looking for: a taxi dock. The plan was simple. Polina would board a taxi shuttle, the Dardassyian ambassador would already be aboard and they would discuss Intergalactic Alliance/Dardassyian relations as they jumped through several systems to mask their journey to Dardassyius. The ambassador would show her whatever he needed to show her and then she’d travel back alone, as if she were just running a casual errand.
“It will be done in a snap,” her contact had assured her. “Imagine the boost to your career, Junior Ambassador, if you could bring the Dardassyians back to the fold.”
Her career could definitely use the jump-start. Polina had been a Junior Ambassador since she’d graduated, watching less-talented peers be promoted around her. This potential alliance could be just the thing she needed. That was the reason she took on this risky meeting.
Well, most of the reason. There was a second reason, one that Polina wasn’t about to admit to anyone: the Dardassyian ambassador was extremely attractive.
She’d never met a Dardassyian in person before—technically, she still hadn’t, since she’d only communicated with this one over vid screen—but Polina was awestruck by the alien’s beauty.
The crowd parted in front of her and Polina caught a glimpse of a faded sign reading “Taxi Shuttles - For Hire.” She pushed her way over to the taxi port, taking care to keep her face hidden, and wondered how she would know what taxi shuttle to board. Would someone at the desk know to expect her? Was she supposed to have some sort of code word?
She needn’t have worried. There, just inside the taxi bay, stood a mahogany skinned pilot—Artarian by the look of him—holding a flimsy, hand-written sign reading “Jane Smith.”
Polina rolled her eyes. Jane Smith was a common Earthling name, recognizable to almost every race across the galaxy. Considering that most off-planet Earthlings were IA officers and very few of them would ever set foot in a public spaceport, it was clearly meant for her.
Her suspicions were confirmed when the Artarian shot her a look across the bay and waved her over. “Jane!” he shouted, in a pipe-smoke roughened voice. “Jane Smith! Your taxi shuttle awaits.”
“Keep it down,” Polina hissed, rushing over to the alien male and grabbing him by the arm. “This trip is supposed to be low-profile.”
“Yeah, for Junior Ambassador Polina Marsh,” the Artarian said lowly. “But I’m pretty sure Jane Smith, random citizen of Earth, can go wherever she wants.”
The Artarian had a point. Polina glared at him, narrowing her dark brown eyes and pulli
ng her shoulders erect. “Jane Smith requests permission to board your shuttle,” she said tersely. “Lead the way, captain.”
“Please, call me Galen.” Sweeping one arm toward the hatch, the Artarian bowed as she passed by. “After you, Ms. Smith,” he said. Polina couldn’t see his face, but she was quite positive he was mocking her.
The taxi shuttle was small, but serviceable. Taxis were small, light crafts, capable of making short hyper-speed jumps but not well suited for long-distance travel. Polina’s contact assured her that this trip and meeting wouldn’t take more than an afternoon; that she would be home safe and sound before dinner.
She hoped so. Tensions were high around the Intergalactic Alliance as of late and it wouldn’t do her any good to be discovered as absent without leave.
“So, the cockpit is down that way,” the pilot, Galen, announced, pointing to the left. Sure enough, a pilot’s chair was visible through a small door. “Passengers ride right here, inside the hold.”
Polina raised a delicate brown eyebrow. The passenger hold was right behind the cockpit. She’d never been in such a small spacecraft before.
“Is this it?” she asked.
The pilot laughed. “Yeah, pretty much. I fly, you ride. It’s not a glamorous ship, but it’ll do the job.”
Polina looked around. The cockpit was empty, the passenger hold was empty, there was no sign of the Dardassyian envoy.
She chose her next words carefully, on the off chance that she’d stumbled on the wrong ship. “I was told that I would have company on this journey, captain. Is anyone else present?”
“We have another passenger in the head—that’s the restroom, in case you weren’t familiar—”
“I’m familiar with the terminology, captain,” Polina cut him off. “If you would please ask my contact to step out here so I can ensure that I am indeed on the right ship, I would be grateful.”
The pilot’s grin faded and his bright green eyes grew serious. “Give me just a moment, Ms. Smith,” he explained, quickly hitting a series of buttons and closing the hatch. “Let’s get you some privacy, shall we?”
The moment the hatch was secured, a door opened to Polina’s right and out stepped a tall, graceful figure.
“Ambassador Marsh,” the alien greeted her, extending one slender hand. “I’m grateful that you took the time to meet with me. I know it wasn’t easy, but I think that we’ll both find our time together mutually beneficial.”
The Dardassyian was speaking Common, the official language of the Intergalactic Alliance, but Polina didn’t understand a single word he said. She was too busy staring.
The Dardassyian ambassador was the most beautiful creature Polina Marsh had ever seen.
***
The alien loomed over her, taller and more graceful than any Earthling male Polina had ever seen. This Dardassyian was nearly a head and a half taller than she was and he was elegantly put together: lithe limbs, golden curls falling around a sculpted face, bright blue eyes peering down at her.
A series of markings, golden patterns and swirls, seemed to dance over his tawny skin. Polina stood hypnotized by the way the gold morphed and changed, glistening on the bare skin of his face and hand.
A small, rough cough over her shoulder snapped her back to reality.
“Junior Ambassador Polina Marsh,” said Galen, “may I present Viceroy Arryn J’olras of Dardassyius.”
Polina had almost forgotten that Galen was there and she’d definitely forgotten her manners. She smiled and extended her hand, hoping that she remembered the proper way to greet a Dardassyian. Arryn stretched out his own hand, gripped hers and shook it twice firmly.
Good. She had followed protocol after all. Polina quickly shook her head and reminded herself to keep it together. No matter how beautiful the male in front of her was, he was still a member of the government of an unincorporated planetary system. She needed to keep her wits about her during their meeting, or risk putting her career in extreme jeopardy.
“Junior Ambassador,” Arryn said, and Polina tried not to shudder as his voice washed over her. It was like liquid gold, rich and warm. “I know the risk you took in agreeing to meet with me. I assure you that I appreciate your efforts in diplomacy and promise that you will not be disappointed.”
“Thank you, Viceroy,” Polina answered, amazed that she managed to speak without her voice shaking. “I hope that our time together will be beneficial to both of us.”
She smiled up at him and he matched her with a smile of his own, easy and even. Polina had no idea if all Dardassyians had such perfect, white teeth or if Arryn was just an exemplary specimen, but she found she didn’t really care.
“All righty, then, passengers,” Galen barked, pushing past them and making his way to the cockpit. “If you two are done gazing adoringly at one another, then let’s get this show on the road, shall we?”
“We weren’t—” Polina sputtered.
“I was,” Arryn said lightly, sitting down in a seat and fastening a restraint around his shoulders and waist.
Polina gaped at him as she mimicked his actions and strapped herself in for their journey.
“Don’t mind him,” Galen shouted from the cockpit. “Dardassyians are notoriously bad with standard humanoid emotions.”
“Is he going to be able to hear everything we say?” Polina whispered to Arryn.
“Yep!” Galen shouted. “And don’t worry your pretty face, Junior Ambassador. I’m on your side.”
Polina shot Arryn a questioning look and he nodded back. “Captain Galen has been a great friend to the Dardassyian cause. You can trust him.”
“All right, then,” she said, but still keeping an eye on the captain. There was something about him—he was so cocky and brusque—that didn’t put her at ease.
“I apologize for staring,” Arryn told her in his smooth golden voice, raising it just a bit to be heard over the engines as they lifted off. “But most of the Earthlings that I’ve dealt with have been male. And old. It was somewhat shocking to meet you in the flesh.”
Polina could have said the same thing. She’d communicated once, briefly, with Arryn over a vid screen, but the poor resolution had done nothing to show the true beauty of the alien male who was currently sitting across from her. He was dressed casually—a simple brown flight suit—but that contrast just exemplified his exceptional good looks.
“You’re staring again,” Arryn said abruptly. “Am I really that shocking?”
Polina laughed nervously. “No, Viceroy, no. It’s just that I’ve never spent much time—any time, really—with Dardassyians. I just need to take a moment to…get accustomed to you.”
“She didn’t need to take any time to get accustomed to me, Arryn,” Galen shouted from the cockpit.
“I’ve seen Artarians before,” Polina covered. It was true, she’d seen an Artarian or two in her career, but that wasn’t the reason she didn’t have the same reaction to Galen as she’d had to Arryn.
Unfortunately for Captain Galen, he just wasn’t as ethereally beautiful as Arryn. Polina glanced up toward the cockpit, where Galen was barely visible. She could just catch a glimpse of one shoulder, a strong mahogany hand gripping the controls and the edge of his tumble of black curls.
“Galen is considered very attractive for an Artarian,” Arryn informed her.
“I’m sure he is,” Polina responded, wondering if she was being extra obvious or if Arryn was just particularly attentive to human emotions.
It wasn’t that she found Galen unpalatable. Polina supposed that he was quite good-looking, in his own way. He had a ruggedly handsome face, piercing green eyes, rakishly unruly curls held back in a messy clump at the nape of his neck. But looking at him next to Arryn was like trying to see a moon while it passed by the sun.
The moon didn’t stand a chance.
“I’m interested in hearing what you have to say, Viceroy,” Polina said in an attempt to change the subject. “I couldn’t imagine what issue could be imp
ortant enough to arrange this clandestine meeting.”
Arryn stared at her for a moment, his bright blue eyes wide in confusion. “Junior Ambassador, I was hoping to speak to you about lifting the ban on Dardassyian travelers. I thought you knew that.”
Polina looked at him blankly. “Lifting the—? Viceroy, the Intergalactic Alliance has always welcomed Dardassyius to join us, but your people have made it very clear that you want no part of the Alliance.”
“Bullshit,” Galen shouted from the cockpit, interrupting once again. “That’s what they want everyone to think, Polina, but it’s a lie.”
“I can handle my own negotiations, Galen,” Arryn said, looking down at Polina. The golden patterns on his face stilled for a moment, a series triangles and diamonds cutting across the plane of his cheekbones. “Junior Ambassador, surely you don’t expect me to believe that you’re ignorant of the true nature of—”
“Surely, Viceroy, you didn’t just call me ‘ignorant,’” Polina snapped. Beautiful alien ambassadors only got away with so much. This crossed a line.
Arryn opened his mouth as if to retort, but was interrupted by Galen bursting out of the cockpit.
“Okay, kids, let’s not get crazy back here,” he said, settling into the jump seat next to Polina. “I’d hate to start name-calling before we even begin negotiating.”
“Galen, don’t you have a ship to fly?” Arryn glared.
“These taxi shuttles have great autopilot, Arr,” Galen grinned. “Thought I’d come back here and mingle with the diplomats for a bit. See how the other half lives for a change.”
Polina smiled at him, a genuine smile this time. As irritating as she’d found Galen only moments ago, his presence was now welcome in the face of Arryn’s sudden coldness.
“Your father was a diplomat, Galen,” Arryn muttered. “You know how the other half lives.”
Galen was undeterred. “You got me, Arryn,” he shrugged. “I just came back here to get to know our passenger a little better.”