by Voxley, Vi
“I saw the looks that captain was giving you. It can only mean one thing and that's trouble. You are his gesha or whatever they call it. Go ahead, deny that. It’s gotten plenty of warriors killed before, and I can bet it will again."
Paula had had many angry words coming, but the major shut her up. She could smell the same argument coming that had already occurred to her and there was nothing to defend herself with.
"I can't," she said flatly. "I am what you say. The captain told me."
"Right," the major almost spat. "So now you return to the surface with new attire. Don't give me bullshit about changing for fashion senses. He fucked you and now he's coming down to fuck us all."
Paula whirled around before she could stop herself, her hand coming into contact with the major’s cheek with a heavy slapping sound. She wanted to do it for the second time, but this time Burton caught her hand, a snarl on his lips.
Her Brion guards stepped closer, the looks on their faces leaving no doubt they were ready to use violence if the major went further.
"It's fine," Paula called to them. "It's alright. It’s my fault."
She ripped her hand free, but the slowly blooming hatred between her and the major had finally reached a thundering crescendo. It was completely insane, mostly since Paula knew in her heart that they mostly agreed.
And it was her fault. He simply didn’t have any right to claim that it would be her fault if Kerven’s plan backfired, which he was currently doing.
"Whatever happens between me and the captain is private," she hissed at him. "Mind your own goddamn business, Major."
"Like hell it is," the major snapped. "I've met Brions before. I've gone to war with them. The second you are in danger, that man will turn on his heels and forsake my men to die. All over some girl.
“You of all people should be the most worried, if you are as noble as you preach. If he even thinks you might get that pretty face of yours hurt, he'll not only leave the soldiers... he'll leave the seeds too."
Paula gritted her teeth, because she knew the major was right. In his position, she might very well have done the same. Burton felt helpless, that's what it was. Brions were powerful and fierce, mighty allies to have. If they could be relied upon.
With her in the equation, they couldn't.
She caught her temper on a leash, reining it in as best she could. All around her, everywhere she looked, there were men she'd been treating for long weeks. Their lives stood upon the edge of a knife and she was the key to their survival or doom.
"You're right," she forced the words over her lips, ignoring the look of surprise on the major's face. "You're absolutely right. This is a problem. We both want it solved. Only there isn't much we can do about it, is there? You handle the tunnel and the men, as you're supposed to.
“I'll handle the captain and make sure he stands with us like he promised. Deal?"
Major Burton stared. Paula stared back, refusing to look away on that miserable day of all days. Then the man nodded, stomping away without so much as another word.
Paula was left with a bitter victory. Now she had the daunting task of controlling a Brion warrior. One she had just sent to hell for all intents and purposes.
And she’d brought it all on herself.
11
Kerven
Paula's call came as a surprise to Kerven.
He'd expected to hear from her next time when he returned to the surface for the inspection of the tunnel. Instead, only a few hours had passed since she'd kicked him out of his own quarters and left with no hope of conciliation between them when the call came through.
The captain took his fighter down to the planet at once, finding his gesha waiting for him. She looked gorgeous in the Brion colors and he couldn’t help but wonder if she’d kept them on for him. He couldn't stop imagining her in that outfit all the time, walking the flagship Benevolent by his side, happy and carefree.
Though the image of her wearing nothing at all was even more inviting.
He had to admit that although the way she'd left things before hurt more deeply than any blade ever could, he couldn't help admiring her spirit. Just like he couldn't let go of his beliefs, she stood by hers. They were a match.
The fates knew what they were doing and as a true Brion, all Kerven had to do was suffer through the bad times, the hopeless moments, before hopefully reaching the prize at the end. Even his general had faced those. It was the way of the sacred bonds.
To have something so great, so pure, you had to fight for it.
"Paula," he asked before he'd even stepped out of the fighter. "Is something the matter? If that commander hurt you in any way, I will make a trophy out of his ugly head."
She couldn't fight down the smile that appeared on her face like dawn fast enough. Biting her lip, his gesha struggled not to give him the satisfaction of making her laugh. It would have been a brilliant gift for him, though it was ultimately denied to him.
In the meanwhile, he could enjoy how beautiful she looked. Her dark blonde hair, tied up in a practical ponytail, was flowing in the slight breeze that brought more dust their way.
The sun shining through the clouds gave it an ethereal look, casting Paula in its glow. He had to resist an urge to run over to her and pull her into his embrace where she belonged. It didn't serve him to piss her off again, not when she was giving him a sign that she wasn't done with him yet.
"Nah," Paula shrugged. "The major is a dick. He can't help it, though. I've seen many men like him. Military career does that to Terrans. I don't know why.
“Perhaps it's because he needs to be certain of himself, so after a time he thinks everything that comes into his head is gold. Let him be. He’s nothing I can't handle."
"He did tell you something, then?" Kerven asked with growing irritation.
Paula smirked, looking like she was remembering something.
"Of course. My new attire didn't go unnoticed. I'll get mocked for ages. It's not exactly inconspicuous, if you know what I mean."
Honestly, the thought hadn't occurred to Kerven before. Now that she mentioned it, he did notice how she stood out from the rest of the brown, grim bunch. He could hardly distinguish them from the muddy ground they stood and laid upon, according to their health, in the makeshift medical tent that they were conversing in.
In contrast, Paula shone like the sun that she was.
"If it's not to punish him, why did you call me here?" the captain asked, unable to keep the sliver of hope from his voice.
The smile on Paula's face was gone like light hiding behind clouds.
"Don't think I've forgotten your words," she said, several degrees icier than before. "I need you to tell me something. To promise me, in fact."
"Anything.
"Alright, how about we begin by you not making promises you can't keep?" Paula said and once again, there was a small smile on her lips.
The captain noticed it and suppressed a victorious grin of his own with difficulty. It was the bond, working towards the end goal without taking heed of what was actually happening. Now that they had made their binding whole, Paula was feeling the pull of fate.
Even if she didn't understand or care for it, the fate was dragging them together with a force stronger than either of them.
His cock strained in his armor, pressing against the hard surface of it. Kerven had to bite back a hungry groan, his body aching to feel the heat of her body again. To see those lovely blues shining up at him in an unguarded moment, sparkling just for his pleasure.
"Very well," he replied. "Tell me what you wish and I will give you what you need."
This time, the spark of lust in Paula's eyes was unmistakable. For a second there, Kerven thought he could hear the word you float through the air to him. In reality, nothing of the sort left his gesha's soft, pink lips.
As a Brion, he didn't need to hear when he had eyes to see how she reacted to that.
It made staying away from her nearly unbearable. Her body
was calling to him, too. Kerven could tell how her pussy ached for him, for his cock. The way she was standing, almost on the edge of her toes, ready to run to him... It was the single sexiest thing he'd ever seen.
It took all of Paula's impressive self-control not to throw herself at him and take what she so clearly needed, at least in Kerven’s unbiased opinion.
The captain steeled his own restraint. Best things came to those who waited and even the expectation could be delicious when he had something that good to wait for.
"You're not going to like it," Paula said.
"My gesha," he replied. "I think you still do not understand what our bond entails."
Her eyes were sharp and bright as he cocked her head sideways ever so slightly, looking utterly divine.
"I think I understand perfectly well," she went on. "The major and I had a conversation. It seems we share a mutual concern. Before, you promised to help us with attaining the Eden seeds. You are also here to provide support for the Terran troops, is that correct?"
"Yes."
"Then I need your word, upon your honor, Captain. Tell me you will make those things a priority over me."
The elation he'd felt dissipated. Seeing the severe look in his eyes, Paula continued.
"See, I warned you. Stop giving me that look. I'm not telling you to leave me for dead or to use me as a shield. I'm asking you to do your duty as though your gesha wasn't on the field. You know we can't do this without you. Trust me, we would have if we had the slightest of chances.
“Millions of lives depend on you, Captain. I will not forgive you if this goes badly."
"What you're asking is impossible."
The answer came without any hesitation.
Now it was Paula's turn to give him a long, hard look. Two fierce, stubborn creatures stood opposed and she wasn't going to give up.
"I bet it isn't. I'm sorry for doing this, Captain, I really am. It was foolish of me to lead you so far to begin with. However, if you don't give me your word, I will leave with the first ship after the mission and you'll never see me again. That's a promise."
It wasn't a promise. It was a knife to his heart.
Kerven felt his insides twisting up, bile wanting to rise in his throat. The thought of losing her was like experiencing a precursor to death.
"You strike a hard bargain," he told her bitterly. "How could I refuse that?"
For a second, he saw a hint of regret in her beautiful blue eyes.
Not regret for her choices. For how things had gone between them.
It gave him new strength, brought clarity into his mind.
"I swear," he said. "I will do everything in my power to ensure the mission is a success."
Paula's sigh of relief told him she really did care about their duty and it wasn't a way to hurt him or take revenge on him for his foolish words. It was a small bit of consolation. He would take what he could get in this case.
"I think it's only fair you give me something in return," he went on. "Now that I've promised, I want you to tell me you will not be taking any ship off this planet. That you will not run from me."
Paula's eyes were filled with warring emotions. He saw her glancing around at the soldiers, tired and hurting from the war that could end at her word.
"Yes," she said. "Help us get the cure and I will not leave."
Kerven nodded, accepting her oath. He didn't miss the bitterness of it, yet it was all he had to hold on to. For the upcoming battle, his battle spear was honed and ready. For the one that really mattered, his only weapon was hope that fate hadn't set them on splitting paths.
12
Paula
Paula's heart, body and soul had a hard time getting on the same page.
She was attending another "meeting", which wasn't one in even the broadest sense. It was still only the Brion captain talking and the others listening. For her part, Paula was barely paying attention.
In itself, it wasn't surprising in the slightest. She'd always had trouble deciding if she was doing the right thing, using the time she'd been given correctly. It was a very universal concern, or at least so far it had been.
The times when women were expected to sit at home and do nothing were long past. Paula imagined that most of them struggled at one point or another with the choices between a career and a healthy love life. Any social life, even.
This time it was different. The problem was very specific and the answers were all from one end of the spectrum to the other.
Seeing Kerven again had been a mistake, a huge mistake, no doubt about that. Before, she'd been angry, both at herself and slightly at him, and her fury had carried her away from him on its wings. Now, seeing him again, hearing the words he spoke and the oaths he was prepared to give... it got complicated. Paula wanted none of that.
Of the three parts of her arguing, her body's wishes were the easiest to understand and the hardest to ignore.
Yes, so I want to eat him up and let him return the favor, that's not the point, she told herself firmly, pretending to look at the plans for the tunnel. I mean who the fuck wouldn't?
Really, who wouldn’t?
The rest of her – more practical and rational – had a hard time arguing with that. Kerven was a stunning example of manhood, there was no use in denying that. He was also incredibly self-assured, which was not a turn-on at this point, and amazingly honest, which kind of was.
I'm going around in circles, Paula thought. We just need to get through tomorrow. If he delivers what he promised, I'll have to tolerate his company for a while longer. No big deal. It will just prove to us how different we are, lust be damned.
That was good, wasn't it? Not a solution, exactly, but the closest she could get to it.
Someone else but the captain was talking for the first time in twenty minutes. Paula looked up, seeing the major eye them both with scarcely hidden animosity.
Don't say anything stupid, not on the eve of battle. He'll cut you in half, you have to know that.
"The tunnel will be done in time," Burton said, answering her thoughts. "It will begin here, behind this ridge.” He was pointing at locations on the holographic map. “It's out of sight of the Hoolas, looking like nothing more than a trench.
“If luck holds, they will not figure out its true purpose until it's too late. It's wide enough to allow two men to walk side by side, and comes out right under the grove. We'll have to trigger the last explosion very precisely."
"Good," Kerven replied. "Then we are in agreement. Right before dawn, we launch the decoy attack. You have to make it look like you mean it, Major. We'll do the rest."
Burton glared, as he was wont to.
"Don't you worry about us. Did our young doctor here have a chance to speak with you?"
With absolute calm, to Paula's astonishment, Kerven nodded.
"She did. We have come to an understanding. Are we finished? I will go and brief my men on their duties."
Without waiting for a response, the captain walked away from the headquarters, leaving Burton to grumble something to himself. Anticipating another poor attempt at humor, Paula made herself scarce as well, slipping out a moment after Kerven had.
Outside, the sky was slowly darkening.
It was a weird sensation to look upon Jumel on that evening. For long, endless weeks, Paula had wanted nothing else than to get away from there. To have the seeds in the Union's custody and for the men she couldn’t allow herself to care about more than what was necessary to stop dying. All that time, she'd loathed the planet with a passion.
Now, on the first day that there was some actual natural light seeping through the clouds, it was almost... She wasn't going to deem it beautiful. The landscape was destroyed, utterly in ruins, much like the people upon it. Several fires were still burning, and dust was ruling over the open ground.
Yet for the first time, Paula felt at peace on Jumel. There was a certain charm to the future now, their salvation on the horizon. Even the Terran soldiers seemed
to realize that. There was hope, at last.
Thinking of that banished the happiness she'd felt for a moment. Even the rays of light disappeared from the sky that was once again cast over.
The final battle will be tomorrow. Many of you will never see the day after that, she thought grimly, her thoughts encompassing both the alliance’s forces as well as the Hoolas.
"Don't count the dead before they're gone," Kerven's voice said.
Paula turned quickly, seeing the captain standing behind her. Her Brion guards were walking away, giving them privacy.
"How did you know what I was thinking?" she asked, her voice solemn.
There had been rumors about Brions being able to read minds, but Paula knew it couldn’t be true. If it were, Kerven would have definitely used his powers sooner with her.
The captain came to stand by her side, overlooking the last preparations for the assault. No matter how hard she looked, Paula couldn't find even a grain of fear in his eyes. It figured. Brions were not worried about death.
"I heard your heartbeat match mine," Kerven said. "It's a good piece of wisdom, but even my kind can't always follow it. I never asked my general what he felt, although I imagine it's the same with him.
“Officers always have that look, that future-reaching sight. We are responsible for most choices, after all, even if every single warrior will forge his own path."
Paula didn't reply at once, simply looking at the man standing beside her. The captain seemed so very different from the man she'd met only a short while ago.
Then, he'd been full of the annoying bravado of his species. As she got to know him, Paula saw that there was more to him, so much more.
She wondered if she was a fool for denying herself the chance to get to the bottom of him.
But wouldn’t getting to the bottom of him mean that there would never be any discovery of anything else?