Perchance to Dream

by Lyssa Chiavari

  He forced a smile—but not a real one, not the one he showed Dia. One that put them at ease and made them see him as servile and non-threatening. It worked. They smiled back.

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “You are dismissed, Major.”

  Turning on his heels, he marched from the room, his hands curling into fists at his sides. If he were anyone else, the bogus charges would never have been entertained. It didn’t matter that he’d been dealing with their prejudice his entire life. It still stung, after all he’d done to prove himself to them.

  Dia. I still have her. She would never…

  That thought gave him hope, along with the reminder that he would get to take her along when he left. For so long he’d been a stranger in a strange world.

  With Dia, he was home.

  ❦

  Chapter 3

  Earth Army Barracks

  Napet Space Station

  Isaias stood near the open doorway of the major’s barracks room, hands clasped tightly behind his back. He fought to keep his face impassive, when all he really wanted to do was lunge across the room, take the alien imposter by his throat and squeeze the life out of him. He’d been disgusted to learn that the daughter of such a prestigious family would choose to marry Ethelene scum instead of one of her kind. Not that he could have had her—he’d been married for a year already. After all, it was his duty as a young male of Earth to participate in the repopulation effort. Still, Dia should have been with someone like him. Just the thought of the half-alien offspring they would make turned his stomach.

  No, throttling the major wasn’t good enough for him. He would destroy the man in his own way. The smart way.

  “I need you to deliver this to General Watrous,” Onyx said, turning and extending a large manila envelope to him. “It’s Dia’s and my marriage certificate. I don’t want there to be any question that the marriage is legitimate.”

  Isaias accepted the parcel and tucked it under one arm. “Right away, sir,” he said in his most subservient tone.

  “After you’ve done that, I need you to prepare to leave.”

  “Did we come under orders, sir?”

  The major nodded and turned back to the open trunk on the bed. Inside were several uniforms and a few changes of civilian clothing.

  “Yes. The Matsai were spotted in Quadrant Four in large numbers. I’m taking a fleet to Avaron on a scouting mission. I want you to come along, but on a separate ship. I need you to escort Dia there to meet me.”

  Great, now I’m stuck babysitting your whore of a wife.

  “I want her to have as much time as she needs to prepare for the journey, so there’s no rush,” Onyx continued. “Maybe you should bring your wife along, too. They can have each other for company.”

  Isaias rebelled inwardly at the idea. One of the main reasons he hadn’t been reluctant to marry at such a young age was because being a soldier meant he hardly ever had to see her. Ellena was pretty—the main reason he’d married her—but she was also an idiot he couldn’t bear to be in the same room with for very long.

  Biting back the refusal, he nodded. “Good idea. I’ll start getting everything ready for the trip.”

  Onyx nodded back, though his face remained impassive. “Thank you, Captain. I’ve found you to be a valuable asset. Choosing you for my ensign was a good decision, I think.”

  Because I’m only good enough to babysit your wife and carry around your mail? I should have been first lieutenant!

  Saluting, Isaias turned to leave, anger clogging his throat and making his chest heave with rapid breath. He relaxed his hand, which had clenched into a fist, wrinkling the envelope containing the marriage license. Fixing his face into a mask of bored indifference, he went about completing his tasks for the major.

  He encountered Reid right after delivering the major’s parcel to General Watrous. The young man stood slumped against the wall, staring off into space as other soldiers breezed past him, some casting him curious glances. His eyes were bloodshot with dark circles underneath.

  Isaias crossed the hall and approached him, taking in his disheveled hair and rumpled uniform.

  “You look like crap,” he said. “If one of your superiors sees you like this—”

  “I don’t care,” Reid whined, running his hands through his hair and ruining it even more.

  “You’re overreacting.”

  “No, I’m not,” Reid snapped. “I wasn’t honest when I said the thing I had with Dia wasn’t a big deal. I… well, I was going to ask her to marry me.”

  “Now she’s married to the Ethelene.”

  He lowered his head. “I want to die.”

  Isaias snorted. “Don’t be a dumbass.”

  “I love her! I don’t think I can bear to see them together.”

  Grasping Reid’s arm, Isaias dragged him toward the nearest men’s restroom and propelled him inside. Finding it empty, he slammed the door behind them and locked it.

  “Okay, enough! Just because you want to screw her doesn’t mean you love her. And just because she picked another guy, doesn’t mean you go and off yourself. No girl is worth killing yourself over.”

  Reid sniffed, turning to peer at his reflection. “Every time I think about it, I just want to throw that Ethelene through the nearest window and watch him float off into deep space. How do I get over her?”

  “You don’t,” Isaias replied with a shrug. “If you want her, go after her. Who cares about a stupid piece of paper? All you have to do is make her see how wrong she was to choose him. And if it means that much to you, I’ll help you.”

  Reid frowned, glancing up to meet his gaze. “You will? Why?”

  Isaias forced a smile. “Because we’re friends, that’s why. Besides, nothing would bring me more satisfaction than sticking it to the major. If you do everything I tell you, I guarantee you can have her. After being with him, she’s no good as anyone’s wife anyway.”

  “Hey, don’t talk about her like that! It’s not her fault. She doesn’t know what she’s doing.”

  Isaias shrugged. “Prove it. Show her she’s made a mistake. I’m telling you, it’ll work.”

  Reid turned on the faucet, splashing his face with water. Wiping it clean on his sleeve, he took a deep breath. Then he turned to face Isaias and sighed.

  “Tell me what to do.”

  ❦

  Chapter 4

  Avaron Fleet Command Center

  Avaron Space Station

  First Lieutenant Cronius March scanned the bustling hangar, searching the crowd for the familiar face of Major Onyx. Taking a quick count of the airships flanking his left and right, he cursed.

  “Only fifteen,” he murmured to himself.

  He couldn’t know what had happened to the other thirty-five, though he tried to keep himself from imagining the worst—a difficult thing, considering the circumstances.

  A young corporal approached him, wearing a shoulder patch marking him as being stationed here in Avaron.

  “Lieutenant, glad to see you’ve arrived safely.” The corporal paused, snapping his heels together and saluting him with a crisp motion.

  “First Lieutenant March,” Cronius introduced himself. “And this is less than half my fleet. I was separated from the rest of my unit in a nasty storm out in Quadrant Three. Have First Lieutenant Bryson or Major Onyx arrived yet? Any other airships from Napet?”

  The boy shook his head, eyes wide. “No, sir.”

  “Get me your commanding officer, now,” Cronius ordered. “We need to organize a scout mission to explore Quadrant Three for any sign of the missing ships.”

  The corporal saluted again and turned to carry out the order. “Right away, sir.”

  “Incoming!” shouted one of the hangar’s mechanics, alerting the others to the approaching ship.

  Breath held, Cronius dashed toward the nearest window, staring out into space. He grunted in frustration when he realized the ship wasn’t Onyx’s. However, it was a Napet ship, which co
uld mean news concerning the rest of the fleet.

  He waited impatiently for the ship to land and its occupants to emerge. The major’s ensign, Captain Royce, strode down the gangplank, followed by Dia Tian, and Isaias’ wife, Ellena. Cronius rushed forward to meet them.

  “You made it safe,” he said as the ensign saluted him. “Did you encounter the storm as well?”

  “We left a day after you did,” Captain Royce replied. “We received word of the storm and were able to skirt it. Are you just now getting here?”

  Cronius nodded, shooting the major’s wife a nervous glance. The last thing he wanted to do was worry her over her husband.

  “Yes, and with less than half the fleet. The major and about thirty-five of our ships are still out there.”

  Dia gasped, her wide eyes darting around the hangar. “Onyx is still out there? Has anyone heard from him at all?”

  He placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. The poor girl was shaking. “Not yet, but I’m already working on a plan to find him. I’m waiting for one of Avaron’s commanding officers, and we’re going to send out a search party. Don’t worry, we’ll find him.”

  She nodded, but he could see tears brimming in her eyes. He turned to Ellena.

  “Maybe you should help her find their quarters and get her settled. I’ll report any news right away.”

  Ellena took Dia’s hand and led her off after waving goodbye to her husband, who hardly spared her a glance.

  “You were good with her,” Isaias remarked.

  Cronius shrugged. “I’ve been married before. I know how worried my Della would have been if she were in the same situation.”

  The ensign rubbed his chin. “I didn’t know you’d been married. What happened, divorce?”

  He sighed. “No. I lost her to the Virus X outbreak.”

  He turned away from Isaias to go in search of that officer. Not that he disliked the man. He just didn’t like talking about Della with anyone. The memories were still too painful.

  ❦

  Chapter 5

  Avaron Banquet Hall

  Avaron Space Station

  “I don’t know why the Ethelene’s return is worthy of so much celebration,” Reid slurred, sloshing beer over the sides of his glass. “The only party I want to throw that man is a funeral.”

  “Would you keep your voice down?” Isaias hissed, leaning toward his dinner companion across the table.

  The major had arrived a few short hours ago, with twenty of the missing airships, putting to rest many fears that they’d been taken down in the storm. Isaias had watched with revulsion in his gut as Dia had run to the hangar to meet him. Crying hysterically, she’d thrown herself into his arms and sobbed, clinging to the front of his uniform jacket.

  Unlike Reid, Isaias was good at hiding his true feelings. He’d simply welcomed his commanding officer home and shown him to the quarters he’d be sharing with Dia.

  A lavish banquet had been thrown together to celebrate the major’s return, as well as a fortunate occurrence due to the storm—the Matsai ships that had been spotted near Avaron had been caught up in the tempest as well. Almost the entire approaching fleet had been destroyed.

  Reid turned his watery eyes on Isaias and scowled. “Since when do you tell me what to do?”

  “Since I decided to help you get Dia away from that alien bastard,” Isaias muttered. “Besides, I outrank you. So shut up, and drink your beer. Remember the plan.”

  He’d be surprised if Reid remembered his last name after the amount he’d had to drink, but there was no going back now. His need to destroy the major had only increased by the day—and was further exacerbated by the sight of the alien seated at his place of honor, wearing his dress uniform and smiling with the beautiful Dia at his side.

  All around them the banquet commenced, with a lavish meal, and toasts shouted out across the long table. After the dessert course had been served, the music began and the dance floor started to fill. Declining to join the fun, Isaias crossed the room to where Cronius stood, sipping a glass of water. He gazed across the room at Onyx and Dia, swaying against each other to the music.

  “They look happy,” Isaias murmured.

  Cronius nodded. “He’s a lucky man. Seeing them together reminds me of what I had with Della. I miss that.”

  Isaias reached up and slapped the lieutenant on the shoulder. “Chin up, Lieutenant! This is a night for celebration. How about a drink?”

  Cronius shook his head, a look of determination crossing his face. Everyone knew he’d struggled with alcohol addiction in the past. Now that Isaias knew the man’s wife had died, he understood the reason. It could be exploited quite easily.

  “I don’t drink,” Cronius said. “But thank you.”

  “Oh, come on!” Isaias urged. “One drink won’t hurt. Just a little something to lift your spirits. Seeing them together so happy must hurt for a man who has lost his wife. I cannot imagine that sort of pain.”

  Cronius sighed. “I think I’ll just go back to my quarters.”

  Isaias wrapped an arm around his shoulders, propelling him toward the crowded bar where drinks were being served. “The party’s just getting started! Don’t go to your room. You’ll only get depressed and mope alone.” He raised his hand to catch the bartender’s attention. “Two scotches on the rocks.”

  Cronius leaned against the bar, lowering his head. When the drinks were delivered, he reached out and accepted his without argument.

  ❦

  Two hours later, Cronius was red-faced and swaggering, lifting his glass along with the other men at the bar, singing at the top of his lungs. Isaias stood back, nursing his second drink, watching the lieutenant come unraveled before his eyes.

  From his left Reid approached, flushed and glassy-eyed, clearly drunk. He made a beeline for Cronius, who had his backed turned and didn’t notice the other soldier’s approach.

  Isaias merely stood back and watched as Reid slammed into Cronius from behind, cursing and swaying on his feet. His face dark as a thundercloud, Cronius turned, his mood suddenly changed as he confronted Reid. The two began arguing, and while Isaias couldn’t hear a word, he knew Reid threw insults at the lieutenant—because he’d urged him to do so. It was common knowledge that one of the reasons Cronius avoided alcohol was because he couldn’t control himself when he drank. He got angrier by the second, and before Isaias knew it, the two had moved from trading words to trading blows.

  Reid swung first, wildly, missing by a mile and careening into his target. Cronius gripped the front of Reid’s uniform and shook him like a rag doll before delivering a perfect left hook. From there, everything exploded into chaos as Reid countered by shoving Cronius against the bar and attempting to crack a bottle upside his head. Cronius blocked the blow, sending the bottle flying and causing it to shatter against another soldier’s temple. The man went down like a lead weight and his companions converged on the fighting pair, turning a simple fistfight into a riot.

  Bottles flew, stools overturned, and curses rang out to mingle with the music as the men fell into a frenzy of bloodlust.

  Isaias found one of the enlisted men from his brigade and took him by the collar. Fixing his face into an appropriate mask of concern, he steered him away from the fight.

  “You need to go find Major Onyx!” he bellowed to be heard over the commotion. “Tell him to come now. Most of the men here are ours, and he is the only one who can get them to fall in line. Hurry up!”

  As the specialist ran off to carry out the request, Isaias took a seat at the banquet table and crossed one leg over the other. Finding a half-empty glass of wine, he lifted it to his lips and took a swallow. It tasted sweet—as sweet as watching the beginning of his plot fall perfectly into place.

  ❦

  Chapter 6

  Onyx was startled out of sleep by pounding on his door. He jolted upright, temporarily disoriented as he fought to reconcile reality from dream. In his sleep, he’d been back home, on Ethelene. H
e hadn’t seen its beautiful desert landscape since he was six years old, yet he still remembered it vividly—the golden sand dunes and clear, cloudless sky; the caverns filled with Ethelene’s precious gems and minerals; its gleaming glass buildings reaching up toward the sky like searching fingers; its people, tall, slender and dark like the onyx he’d been named for.

  For a moment, he realized his eyes had filled with tears, and homesickness had become a pain deep in his chest. Glancing left, he found Dia beside him and sighed. She looked like the purest, most innocent of creatures in her sleep, eyes closed, lips slightly parted. She stirred as the pounding came again and his name was shouted from the other side.

  “What is it?” she mumbled, eyes still closed.

  He stroked her hair and made to leave the bed. “I don’t know. I’ll find out. You go back to sleep.”

  He knew the last couple of days had to have exhausted her. She’d been worried about him, and had confessed to hardly sleeping at all while he’d been out in deep space, unheard from. He’d tried to transmit several messages to Avaron letting them know he and most of the fleet had survived, but signals were weak because of the storm. He felt guilty for causing her to worry, and made up his mind to do something to make it up to her soon.

  He opened the door, ignoring the shocked expression of the specialist standing on the other side. Undoubtedly, he’d heard of the infamous Major Onyx and was stunned at having his first look at the Ethelene up close. He’d been sleeping without a shirt, and knew the markings and Ethelene tattoos etched into his skin were foreign and strange. Still, he refused to cover himself up to put someone else at ease. His markings were a part of him.

  “Yes?” he said, breaking the man out of his stunned trance.

  “Major,” he replied, blinking and meeting his gaze. “There’s a riot taking place in the banquet hall, started by two of your soldiers.”

  Onyx cursed and turned away from the door, searching the dark room for his uniform.