by Vi Voxley
“The warriors guarding it are all more than capable. No unidentified, uncleared ship is allowed to approach. Every other known repository is guarded as well. The galaxy stands together for this one. The Fearless is a threat to us all."
Naima nodded, the sadness in her body undeniable. So far, every time her eyes fell on Braen, she hadn’t been able to hide the slight smile on her lips, but this time it was missing. For a moment, Braen wondered about this, but tucked it in the back of his mind along with the rest of the many mysteries that were racking up about this young female before him.
Geshas didn't get the recognizing moment, but they could certainly feel the attraction that was between the fated couple. He had to assume she felt it. At least from the little he had seen so far, there was hope.
She opened her mouth to answer something, but the words never came.
He was so enticed by her that Braen almost missed the moment Naima's eyes glazed over. For a second, it looked like her eyes were filled with a snowstorm. Braen rushed to her side, catching her before she could stumble back and fall. She was as cold as ice to the touch.
"Back to the Benevolent!" he roared and the nearest warriors jumped to obey his command, speeding up the fighter.
Naima opened her eyes when Braen grabbed her wrist. The Palian bracelet almost fell off before Braen caught it and put it back. The latch must have been slightly open for it to almost come off that way. Braen would have to have words with the Palians about their design.
Immediately after the latch clicked shut, the storm in her eyes dissipated and Naima looked at him with her own clear green eyes again.
"What happened?" she asked, his gesha's voice unbearably weak, worry flickering in those mesmerizing eyes of hers.
Braen could guess, but he didn't want to think about the implications of that answer. He knew he would protect Naima against anything that wanted to hurt her, but even Braen couldn't fight something he couldn't see.
"It seems your connection to the lifestone and to the Fearless is stronger than we thought," he admitted reluctantly. "This bracelet is the only thing shielding you. Do not take it off. If something happened to you—"
Braen trailed off. The thought of losing his gesha right after finding her, experiencing the joy her simple existence brought… it was too painful. Brion warriors feared neither death nor pain, but even the possibility of losing their fated was the worst thing they could have imagined. The general now understood the fear of that possibility all too well, when before it had simply been a theoretical possibility to him.
Naima was looking at him, curiosity shining in her beautiful eyes as the ship took them back to the Benevolent with full haste.
"Anything could happen to me," she joked, smiling. "If we are going after the Fearless."
"Not anymore," Braen said and the seriousness of his deep voice made Naima's eyes fly wide open. "Nothing in the galaxy can hurt you now that you're with me."
"That is a bit much to promise, don't you think?" Naima asked as Braen helped her stand, unable to resist touching her soft skin a little more than absolutely necessary. "You have a whole galaxy to protect, not just an individual. Even so, there are no guarantees in life."
"Not to me," Braen replied, almost growling.
The words poured out of his mouth, an uninvited but unstoppable flow.
"I know nothing is ever certain before it happens," he said, pulling Naima into his arms, which she permitted out of sheer shock or perhaps because she didn't really want to resist.
He would accept either option at this point, if it only kept her against him a moment longer.
"The galaxy we live in is a cruel and unforgiving place. I should know. I've seen things you wouldn't believe and I have met the Fearless before. At that time, my death was almost a guarantee, yet I stand here before you now. I never fully understood how I walked away from that fight, but now it is all clear. I lived to see you."
Every word he said sent tiny shivers through Naima's body. Brion senses caught them all, telling Braen just how enthralled his gesha was by what he was saying. Her attention belonged to him entirely.
Naima's big green eyes were wide like she was just witnessing the world crumbling apart around her, and that wasn't far from the truth.
"You are right," Braen said, his deep voice laden with emotion. "I can't promise something that doesn't depend on just me. I am who I am. My best is as close to a guarantee as you can get and for you, I will do better.
“The Fearless will never again hurt the galaxy, but first and foremost I will protect you. Come what may, you are my fated and until there is still strength left in me, nothing can harm you. From this day on until the day darkness takes me, you are not alone."
Silence fell when Braen was done. Understanding dawned in Naima's beautiful eyes. The general saw the myriad of emotions going through her as clearly as if they were his own. Confusion, disbelief, as expected.
But also desire, hope, sweet expectation.
She was a scientist. As such, he was certain that she was at least theoretically acquainted with the concept of geshas in the Brion culture. Watching her quickly make sense of what he was telling her was so compelling that Braen almost missed the moment when she stopped analyzing and rationalizing.
Eventually, Terran stubbornness won out and she stopped getting lost in the fairytale. Braen barely suppressed a smile. If the brides of his brother generals were anything to go by, Naima was going to be perfect for him with her quick temper and wit.
"I am your gesha," she said, her voice shaking a little.
"Yes," was all Braen said.
"I don't know what to say to that," Naima admitted, almost apologetic. "I have heard about your sacred bonds, I know they mean everything to you, but –"
Braen stopped her before she could continue.
"You don't have to say anything," he said, although his heart was beating so loudly in her presence it felt like bursting. "For now, all I ask is that you believe me."
"About the bond?" Naima asked, her small smile brightening up the dark ship like daylight breaking in. "I know you don't lie about them."
"About anything," Braen corrected, still holding her in his arms, loving the soft, warm feeling of her body under his fingers. "Every word I just told you is true. No matter what becomes of us, I will never let anything bad happen to you."
Naima said nothing about that, but her body spoke for her without the little Terran even knowing it. There was desire in her body language, but hesitance as well.
Braen swore that he would have his gesha come to him with all that doubt gone, soon. She was destined for him, even if she didn't know it yet.
For a prize like that, waiting wasn't too much of a sacrifice.
7
Naima
Before, when she had felt like the world was doing cartwheels, Naima had been naïve to believe it was already as bad as it was going to get.
Now, that seemed like light turbulence compared to the twists and turns her life had taken in the few short hours that followed.
Still, even all the stuff about the Fearless didn't come close to Braen's passionate announcement. The foundations her perception of the world was built on were shaking and didn't show signs of calming down anytime soon.
Naima felt seasick. In space.
She knew what being one-half of a fated couple meant. It was a hyperbole, only a very real one.
To everyone else, it sounded over-the-top and ridiculous, but Brions could use words like "forever", "eternal love" and "undying devotion" with a straight face. They were perks of the bonds actually being real, as much as people who weren't in them could tell. The fact that the Galactic Union recognized the bonds and all their implications was just proof no one doubted them.
That was all fine and dandy, but as Naima ascended to the Benevolent in a speeding fighter, the implications made her shake in her boots. It was very hard to argue with "eternal" and "unbreakable" by saying Terrans liked things like freedom of
choice and picking their own partners. On Terra, marrying a guy after three seconds of introduction was generally considered foolish to say the least. Brions disagreed.
If the recognizing moment occurred, there was no room for doubt.
That didn't sit so well with Naima, even though her rational side was cheering and hooting. She was all about reasonable doubt, even if the man in question was nothing short of a mouth-watering hunk who was ready to commit his fucking army to saving the world in her name.
All he needs is a white horse and I'm being courted by Prince Charming, only with the possible temper of a volcano and the abs of a Greek god, if the rumors are anything to go by.
In short, Naima was worried. Brions didn't have the most accommodating personalities and telling one of their powerful generals "no" on any matter was widely considered a suicide attempt. Watching the gigantic flagship grow bigger and bigger in the view screen on the wall, Naima feared the general wasn't really Prince Charming.
More like the Beast. Once I enter his castle, I don't think I'll be let out.
Gathering all her courage, Naima forced that ominous feeling to the back of her mind. They were about to embark on the most important mission in known history. Her personal fears could take a back seat. The scientist in her would have plenty of time to dissect this new turn of events to its last iota of sense or senselessness.
She comforted herself with the fact that Brions were also insanely protective of their geshas. Braen would never hurt her.
He would also never let her go. Whether that was a good or a bad thing, she wasn’t so sure yet… but she was certainly starting to feel more like Belle than Cinderella.
Dark, was Naima's first impression of Braen's warship.
Back on Matthos IV, leaving with the Brions had sounded almost romantic. Everything had been larger than life itself. Since the stakes were so high, she didn't really question what she was doing until the ship's hatch opened and all she saw was black.
First the ocean, now this. Give a girl a break.
Naima was about to open her mouth and say something, but Braen beat her to it.
"Lights!" the general commanded. "We have a guest aboard."
The way her body reacted instantly to his strong, commanding voice was a bit embarrassing to her, but Naima kept her mouth shut. He didn’t need any more ammo than she’d already given him, staring into his blue eyes like a lovesick teenager on the fighter.
Stepping out of the fighter and onto the floating fortress Benevolent, her excitement faded. All the stories she'd heard about the Brions came back and along with that, the bitter edge of regret and worry. At the very least, she thought she should have asked Captain Gordon or Doug to come with her.
It wouldn’t have been fair to put them in danger, she reminded herself, calming her frazzled nerves.
Her hand kept gravitating toward the pocket in which she hid the shard of lifestone, however. Every time that her attention was distracted from the general, she found herself creeping towards the stone again. She wanted to slap her hand away, but didn’t, clasping her palms together behind her back instead like a naughty kid getting caught stealing candy.
The fact that Braen seemed to be reading her mind didn't exactly help, either.
"You have nothing to fear here," the general said.
The tone of his voice forced Naima to believe him against all reason.
"This is my ship," Braen went on. "Everything aboard belongs to me and nothing of mine will ever harm you."
A few weeks ago, she'd been sloshing her feet in dark waters out of boredom and now she had all the excitement in the world, along with all the responsibility. He looked at her like she was the sun and the stars, and Naima couldn’t help but feel like a black hole instead, ready to gobble up all the light around her with her choices.
Not that there was much of that on the Benevolent. Until…
Around her, lights slowly came on. They didn't entirely illuminate the dark ship, but at least she no longer had to stumble around blindly.
Braen was waiting for her. As she followed him, going deeper into the ship, Naima noticed the general's eyes never left her. There was more than desire – at least that’s how she found herself interpreting it – in Braen's eyes now, something much more powerful.
The rational part of her was a little worried, all alone on an alien warship. But for some reason, above everything else, she was excited.
I wanted an adventure, I got one.
Naima barely noticed when they entered a set of rooms and the doors slid shut after them. It was a testament that despite everything, she hadn't been able to take her eyes off the general either.
Realizing they were alone brought Naima out of her musings.
Most of them had guiltily been about what Braen looked like under his armor. As her dignity was in question, she dearly wished that all the rumors about Brion warriors and their incredible senses were over-exaggerations. But luck hadn't really been on her side lately.
"You will be staying here, for now," Braen said. "The rooms are connected to my own in case you need anything. If you do not like them, let my men know. They will rearrange it all to your liking."
There was something odd about the for now, but Naima was too busy looking around to press him on it. The fact that she thought she could push a Brion general for anything was… odd, to say the least, as well.
The quarters were quiet and brighter than the rest of the ship. Everything was modest, but tasteful and utterly un-Brion-like. Other than some consoles on the walls and weapon racks, it gave the impression of being an officer's quarters on a Terran ship. In fact, everything seemed to be fitted for a human.
"It's lovely," Naima said, walking around and glancing into rooms, arranged in a circle around the central one where they were standing. "And way too much for me! I thought Brions didn't care for aesthetics."
Braen shrugged, an amused grin on his lips.
"The Union has a very active imagination when it comes to us," the general said. "What did you expect instead of this? Enlighten me."
Naima hesitated, but Braen's levity prompted her to relax. So far, speaking freely hadn't gotten her into any trouble. She could get used to that. Palling around with a Brion general wasn’t something she could say that she got to do often.
So maybe the stories were blown out of proportion…
"Something rougher," she admitted. "I'm not sure. I've never been on a Brion ship. I thought you didn't allow others aboard."
Braen gave a slight nod and she thought she glimpsed a shadow crossing over his face for a moment.
"That used to be true," the general admitted. "We have come a long way since then. And you aren't wrong. This is not what the warrior rooms look like. It has been set up specifically for you."
"Me?" Naima asked, surprised.
"Yes," Braen said, looking at her seriously. "Like I said, we've been looking for you. It certainly would have helped if you'd reported finding the lifestone repository sooner."
"I needed to be sure," Naima said, tracing the patterns on her bracelet with her fingers absentmindedly, trying to swallow down the lump of guilt that wanted to crawl up her throat.
"Is that so?" Braen asked quietly and the gaze of his piercing blue eyes seemed to cut right through her.
The general walked towards her with purposeful, slow steps. His attention alone was enough to nearly stop Naima's heart.
Please don’t let him read my mind, please don’t let him read my mind!
She had never met anyone like him. Braen had the gift of placing himself firmly in her sights, no matter what. His attitude was overwhelming– that mightier than thou arrogance -, but she couldn't deny another part of her was holding her breath, waiting for the general to make a move. To kiss her. To grab her in his arms again.
It was clear to her that he wanted to.
Is that what I want? We’re supposed to be tracking down the scariest monster in the galaxy, and all I can think about is how he t
astes… Get a grip!
You don’t need this, not with everything that’s going on. You’ll tell the nice warlord that you don’t want this and that he has to be mistaken about the whole gesha thing and we can complete the mission and never see one another again.
One look at him told her that it was all well and good as long as she was saying it in her head, but she had no certainty she could actually behave according to her convictions on the matter. Naima wanted to believe she would pull away if that happened, if he grabbed her again. In addition, she imagined herself saying a few words about propriety and manners, but that was a lie and she knew it.
"The Brion Elders think it's useful," Braen said, coming closer, making Naima back away. "To let the Union believe every ridiculous rumor that's out there and there are many about my people. I can tell you this, though. I really can tell when someone's lying to me."
Shit.
Naima's back hit the wall. The word trapped sped through her mind, but it was very far from an unpleasant realization.
Braen was so close to her.
She could feel the general's armor press against her chest just slightly. He didn't hurt her, but there was no way out either. The warrior was so tall she had to crane her neck to meet his flashing eyes, reading her like an open book. His valor badges hummed with a low, white glow.
When Braen spoke, Naima could feel his breath on her skin and muffled a whimper of need at the last moment.
"Your heartbeat's quickening again," Braen said. "I could guess why, but first... tell me the truth."
"Stop doing that," Naima gasped.
Braen's hint couldn't have been accidental, she knew. Naima could feel herself blushing a little at the idea of the general knowing what kind of an effect he had on her.
"It's not like I can turn it off," Braen said.
You meant you don't want to.
"Then discount it," Naima argued, trying to keep her voice from shaking, but it was difficult. "Be a normal human being."