I looked at her with a gaze that was full of meaning. “Why do you think people from my planet were kidnapping and importing women from your planet?”
She shrugged.
“Because to us, you're the epitome of beauty,” I said. “And to me, you're the most beautiful of them all.”
She blushed. “Good point about the kidnapping, I suppose. I hadn't thought of it like that.”
“And the rest still stands as well. You are an exquisite creature, Riley,” I said. “And I feel so incredibly fortunate to have you by my side.”
Riley was smiling from ear-to-ear, though she also looked away as if she was slightly uncomfortable by the attention, her cheeks turning a vivid shade of red. From what I knew of her past – which was admittedly little – I could see why she might be uncomfortable being the center of attention. But a girl like Riley deserved to hear those things. She deserved to be cherished. Worshipped. And I was going to make sure she heard them – every single day – as long as she was by my side. However long that might be.
One could hope for forever, but that was a silly statement. Nobody lived forever. And considering we were going into a fight that was going to get bad, forever might not be that long anyway. And after we won, I wasn't sure what the future might hold. But for now, I was going to make sure Riley knew just how special she was to me.
Chapter Two
Riley
The attention Jendrish lavished upon me struck me as strange. Weird. Uncomfortable. I'd never had someone look at me the way he did. Never had somebody dote on me the way he did. And given the fact that he was so generous and caring – and that he was utterly gorgeous – it meant the world to me. To know that he saw a beautiful woman – or as he put it, an exquisite creature – when he looked at me, even though I felt like there was no way I could compare to the women on his home planet meant a lot to me. It meant the world. And that to me, was an amazing feeling.
But it still felt weird, and I had a hard time accepting the compliments. It wasn't something I encountered in my everyday life and I'd probably never get used to them. Of course, I took pains to avoid putting myself in social situations where it might even be possible, but that was beside the point. My own life experience had sort of soured me on things like social settings and boyfriends.
But it wasn't just my dating life that had been so difficult. Unlike many children, I never had doting parents who told me I was perfect or parents who praised me for anything, really. My aunt and uncle only found reasons to nitpick and nag me. They found reasons to tear me down rather than build me up. They only found what was wrong and hurled insults at me in order to try to get me to change. They called it tough love. But looking back on it, I see it for what it was – abuse.
I came out of childhood broken, feeling like I was never good enough. And then, of course, there was Mike. Most would say that Mike was a direct product of my childhood. That if not for the abuse I'd suffered and the damage it had done to my self-esteem, then I never would have been suckered in by somebody like him.
But Jendrish – he was different in so many ways. He was good. Truly good. In a world where nothing ever felt black and white, but we were literally surrounded by shades of gray, Jendrish was the pure good in the world. Perhaps it was just getting caught up in the emotions inherent in the early stages of a relationship. Maybe I had him on a pedestal a bit too high. But after everything he risked to save us – and everything he risked now to save others – I think I had every right to see him as a white knight. As a hero.
And he was my hero.
I reached out and took his hand in mine. He smiled at me.
“You know, I couldn't help but notice that we have the entire ship to ourselves,” he said. “Unlike last time, that is.”
He was right. We were alone. On this big, old ship in the middle of outer space with nothing to do but stare at the stars as they passed us by.
“Whatever are we going to do to pass the time?” I teased, nibbling my lip as I gave him my best bedroom eyes.
Jendrish pressed a few buttons and the lights on the control panel dimmed ever so slightly.
“Ozul,” I said.
A series of beeps and chirps sounded as the biosystem came online. “How may I be of assistance?”
“You can fly the ship,” I said. “Just don't hit anything this time.”
“Very good,” he said. “And if you recall events correctly, it was you that hit the docking pod. Not –
“That will be all, Ozul,” I smiled at her. “Well, now that Ozul is the flight commander, I think we should find out how we're going to pass the time.”
He took my hand, pulled me over to his seat and I literally fell into his lap. I straddled him, staring into his eyes. It seemed amazing to me that in the vast ocean of space, with the stars and the universe spread out all around us – wonders very few people on Earth ever dreamed of seeing – all I could do was stare into his eyes.
Jendrish kissed me, and I kissed him back. His lips and face were so soft, I wanted to kiss him all over – so, I let myself do just that. From his lips to his cheeks to the tip of his nose – and he moved lower, kissing my neck and collarbone before working the buttons off my shirt, exposing my breasts. He took one in each hand, massaging the nipples with his fingers.
“It's amazing to me that two people from two different worlds so far apart – ” he started.
“Are so different and yet so much the same,” she finished. “And are so highly compatible.”
He nodded his head. “Yes. Exactly that.”
I felt him growing hard against me, and I wanted nothing more than to make love with him again, right then and there. I worked at his pants, removing them, as he did the same for me. And I straddled him once more, naked this time, and let him slip inside of me. I moved slowly at first, rocking my hips up and down, back and forth, taking him deeper and deeper inside of me. I kissed and touched and explored even more of his body and felt the heat between my thighs building into an intense inferno.
This time I was completely sober, so I made sure to enjoy every second of him.
The seat shook and rattled. I assumed it was from our lovemaking, but then the entire ship shook again – this time, more violently – making me fall backward. But Jendrish caught me before I hit the control panel.
“What the hell?” I asked.
“I don't know what that was,” he said, holding onto me as we both waited to see if it would happen again.
The panel lit up and started making noises. He motioned for me to get up, and hurried to get dressed again as he started pulling up different cameras on the touch screen.
“Ozul,” he said. “Tell me what you see out there.”
“What is it?” I asked, pulling my clothes on as well, just in case. Though I was sad we weren't able to finish, I was still very turned on – which might have been a little inappropriate given the circumstances.
“The ship took a glancing shot,” Ozul said. “There is little damage to be worried about. I am attempting to identify the vessel.”
“There's someone tracking us,” he said. “I believe they hit us with something. We must get away, fast. Ozul, I'm taking back flight command.”
“Don't hit anything this time.”
I grinned and shook my head. The one thing about our AI biosystems is that they were imbued with their own personalities. Mine happened to be a smartass.
“Hit us with something? Like what?”
“A warning shot more than likely. Nothing serious,” he muttered. “Thankfully, their ship is smaller than ours, and we're better armored, so we have the upper hand. It doesn't appear to have caused any damage that isn't just cosmetic at this point. We might have a dent or too, but that's the least of our worries. Buckle up, Riley, just in case.”
I did as I was told, putting on the safety harness and watched as Jendrish controlled the ship, causing us to make a sharp turn that would have sent me flying had I not listened to his advice.
&nb
sp; The ship shook again.
“That one hurt,” he said, cringing as he examined the damage in one of the screens on his command board.. “But it's still only cosmetic damage. No mechanical issues. They're just trying to get our attention.”
“I'd say it worked.”
“We're still faster than them,” he muttered, pushing down on a lever. “Especially now.”
I felt the ship lurch forward. It was as if we were on a roller coaster that suddenly took off. The stars outside were spiraling out of control, or rather, we were the ones spiraling as we sped through space. Jendrish was pleased with himself as he continued watching for any sign of the ship in his sensors.
“Ozul, are you picking anything up on the long range sensors?”
“You appear to have outrun them,” he said. “And avoided colliding with anything. Congratulations.”
“We outran them, this time,” he said, growing more serious. “But there will be more where that came from. Especially the closer we get to Optorio.”
“So what you're saying is this is only the beginning?” I said. “And more people will be trying to shoot us down?”
“Exactly,” he said. “Sorry you came along now?”
“Hell no,” I said.
Great. Just great. I was screaming and tearing my hair out – on the inside. I would never let Jendrish see that. Especially after I'd made such a monumental production out of coming to begin with. I knew we were likely going into a war zone, but I guessed that I never realized exactly what that meant or that we'd literally be chased down and shot at by our enemies. Suddenly, I found myself very afraid.
Jendrish sat down next to me, his hair sticking to his face from a layer of sweat – both from making love to me and from the excitement of the chase.
“I'm sorry we were so rudely interrupted,” he said, kissing my hand.
“Shit happens. There will always be a next time.”
“I sure hope so, Riley. I really, really hope so.”
Chapter Three
Jendrish
The ship that had followed us was one from my planet – a bounty hunter. Probably a bounty hunter sent out by the Regent Council. It was far out there, meaning they were searching far and wide for me. They were afraid, and were on notice. Even worse, they seemed to have an idea that I was coming. Which meant the closer we got, the more likely we'd run into even more danger – ships that were larger, faster and armed with heavier weapons.
I glanced over at Riley who'd fallen asleep in her seat. I should sleep, but every time I thought about it, I'd remember that we could be attacked at any time. I needed to be alert to keep us out of harm's way because it wasn't just my life on the line there, but also Riley's. And there was no way I'd let anything happen to her if I could help it. She was my responsibility now.
What I found a little unsettling was that they knew my ship and they were possibly expecting me to come back. It made me wonder if one of my brothers had informed the Regents to betray me. It also meant that the war was already started.
I decided to reach out to Vink again, to see how things were going on the ground. I brought up the communication panel and hailed him.
“Hey there,” I said, leaning back in my seat as Vink's face appeared on-screen. “So I was just shot at by a bounty hunter. So, I'm guessing they're out in full force and the Regents know I'm on my way, huh?”
“Oh yeah,” Vink laughed. “I was a little concerned with how you were going to get into the air space around Optorio. They're screening it, but I have some contacts in air traffic control that are going to look the other way when your ship nears. Not that it'll keep the others from attacking once they recognize you, but hopefully that'll buy you some more time.”
“I appreciate it, Vink.”
“I appreciate you risking your life to come back and fight for this. You know you could have just told us and left it to us, right?”
I sighed. “No, I couldn't. I started this, I need to finish it. It's my responsibility to take down the Regent Council. Besides, I'll relish the feeling of seeing those pieces of filth handcuffed and taken away to their cells. After what I saw – I just can't sit out. I need to do something about it.”
“And that's why you're a great leader, Jendrish. Always have been.”
Hearing Vink give me such glowing praise meant a lot – especially considering the fact that he outranked me. He was my mentor, but eventually he'd retired from active service and let me take over his position – a position many thought I was too young for. But he'd believed in me, always had. And that's why he was the first person I'd called.
I knew him well enough to know that he'd help me fight this battle, that he'd listen and take what I said seriously. And once I had him, I knew the others would follow. He was one of the most respected members of the Guard – ever. He was held in high esteem by everybody. And what he said carried a lot of weight.
At one time, being a member of the Royal Guard was such an honor, one bestowed upon only those with a strong moral compass, one who'd fight for what was right even when everyone else in the universe was doing it wrong. Once Baz stepped down, we were disbanded, but it didn't mean we weren't still brothers or that our mission to do the right thing had been pushed aside. We merely stepped back until we were needed again, I realized.
And this time, I was the one leading. Vink was listening and working with me, following my commands. Something I never thought possible, even after he'd retired and I'd taken up his post.
“Thank you,” I said. “I learned from the best.”
And I meant it too.
ooo000ooo
Vink promised that he'd do everything he could to keep us off the radars on Optorio and allow us a free run in to land. And he'd done an amazing job at it. I didn't know how he'd done it or how many favors he'd had to call in, but we were able to get closer to the planet than I thought we would before someone noticed us and recognized my ship – and then attempt to blow us out of the sky.
I noticed that we'd picked up a tail. He was a little ways behind us, so I tried to speed up to lose him. But as we approached Optorio, air traffic got to be heavier and we could only move so fast.
Trying to blend into the heavy air traffic was also a benefit though. As the Regent Council wouldn't want to accidentally shoot down cargo ships or those carrying passengers into Optorio. It was risky, sure, because it meant that I was hiding in plain sight, and if there was any chance they could get my ship away from the others, they were going to blow us into a million little pieces.
“Fasten your seat belt, Riley,” I said, doing the same. “It's about to get a little bit ugly.”
“Is there anything I can do to help?' she asked after buckling up.
“Not really. Just keep an eye out and let me know if you see any big guns pointed our way.”
It was meant to be a joke, but Riley's eyes widened and she turned her head this way and that, keeping a tight lookout for big guns. She watched out the window, even though I knew she was deathly afraid of heights and flying. But she was a fighter, that one. And I admired that a lot. More than I could accurately convey.
Our ship shook.
“Were we shot?” Riley asked.
“Shot? No. The ship following us – they rear ended us.” I murmured and shook my head. “But we should be fine, just need to keep a good distance away – Get that piece of garbage out of the way already!”
There was a ship moving at a snail's pace in front of us, giving the ship behind us ample opportunity to rear end us again. If I thought the first bump had been an accident or coincidental, that was immediately thrown out after the second. It was intentional.
Riley laughed. Yes, in the middle of all this, she managed to laugh.
“What's so funny?” I asked her.
“I never knew road rage was an intergalactic problem.”
The ship in front of us stopped, letting other ships travel past us. That's when I saw it and realized what was happening.
; The ship in front of us wasn't just a slow mover. The pilot in that lead ship was doing it on purpose just to slow me down. We were trapped between two larger ships and the roadway was clearing out.
“Dammit,” I said, swerving fast to the right, around the ship and into the oncoming flight path. I accelerated quickly, but there were fewer ships around us now. And that's when the sirens went off. Sirens alerting people to leave the air space. Which meant we were in big trouble.
I pushed down on the wheel and we rushed downward, toward Optorio, with ships still tailing us. We shook again, this time the lights flickered as I cursed.
So close. So fucking close.
Another vibration shook the ship and the lights around us flickered ominously. The control panel lit up, beeping and screaming at me, as if I didn't already know we were shot and damaged. Cameras showed the repair mechanism getting to work, but a blast blew it sky high, taking out any chance of getting the damage fixed. We'd have to land, and fast.
I sped up, plunging downward toward the ground. Riley was screeching, a sound of fear I never wanted to hear from her lips – but this was going to keep us alive hopefully. So I continued falling toward the planet, barely missing several more shots as we continued to dive straight toward the ground.
“Jendrish, are you okay up there?” That was Vink, hailing me on the communication screen.
“We're being shot at,” I said through gritted teeth. “Just trying to land as quickly as possible.”
The line cracked before going out. I never heard what else he had to say.
But Optorio was in sight, and I hurried and straightened out my ship, aiming for a landing strip that Vink had mentioned in an earlier call. It's the area his friends worked at, and any friend of Vink was a friend of mine right that moment. The ships behind us were still on our tail, but I was a Royal Guard. I knew how to outfly most people – including those employed by the Regent Council obviously.
“Prepare for landing,” I screeched, pulling on the lever to help us touch ground. As we did so, the entire ship shook violently and there were some sounds like metal grinding on metal that didn't sound good. Not at all.
Rocor (Dragons of Kratak Book 5) Page 40