by Imogene Nix
Duvall turned to look at Chowd. “What do you mean?”
“Ahh yes, I knew that would grab your attention. When I got back here, this was sitting on the desk.” Chowd held up a single desk print for Duvall to see. “It is in Eleric Script, and simply says ‘You may have taken this round, but I will meet you again soon’.”
Duvall moved to grab the missive.
“He’s already gone. If we complete an ionic trail scan, you’ll find that his craft has already left this area and slipped through a port.” Chowd said.
“Do you think he would be brazen enough to use the one beyond Eris?”
“Captain, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn he’s used the port at Sienna, or even outside Rubicon VII. They have always been the most insecure of them all. That distance to the outpost of the Empire always meant it would be harder to police.”
Duvall nodded. He touched his commbadge and requested an ionic trail scan, waiting for the answer that showed positive for the movement of the craft they sought.
“We need to make sure we cover our presence.”
“I agree.”
They quickly conducted one last look around the bookstore in case he’d missed something, ensuring their presence remained undetected. Chowd scanned for devices, finding only those on the computer screen. By wordless agreement, he tugged several newspapers out from under the desk, scrunched them, and touched the pile with a fire-initiator.
The crackle caught on immediately, and a glow filled the office.
Duvall reached for his commbadge one last time. “Two to transmit.”
Chapter 16
Duvall returned to Mellissa’s bedside once he transmitted back to the Elector.
Elara had already examined her, declared that she would make a full recovery physically, and once she regained consciousness, she could assess any long-term emotional damage. He should be on the bridge. Yet, he could not leave until she opened her eyes. Grayson continued to act in the role of captain, allowing Duvall the freedom to stay with her.
Arriving back on the ship, he’d uttered one command to Grayson. “Get us out of here.” Grayson had nodded and retreated to the bridge.
Elara worked quickly. “There won’t be any scarring. At least on the outside.”
Duvall hovered, listening to Elara speaking in calm tones as she worked on her patient. His concern growing the longer she remained unconscious.
“It is just her body, working to help her heal. She’ll be back with you soon, but I’ll keep her here until I’m satisfied.”
Chowd had also reported to him, sitting beside him in the ST suite. “I made an anonymous tip concerning the five bodies we located, Duvall. We need to leave it to Earth’s authorities to deal with that.” Chowd glanced at Mellissa, still unconscious. “Mellissa was lucky. Most of the injuries were superficial according to Elara.”
“Yeah.” He nodded absently, holding her hand and watching.
Chowd left quietly as Duvall took a weary breath, resting his head on Mellissa’s bed. He should be on the bridge, where he’d be busy, but the thought of her waking without him, tore him in two. He pulled out a palm screen and checked their current status and how the ship was coping. They’d exceeded the maximum payload, but the Elector was handling the extra weight without missing a beat. The thought brought with it a hint of a smile.
He started work on his report, adding in the information they’d gleaned, monitoring the ionic trails and the final outcome, showing Crick Sur Banden had abandoned his plan and run again.
He stopped and glanced at Mellissa. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t expect they’d target you.”
He should have brought more security with him, protected her better. He’d known the risks and accepted them, but even with the attempts to minimize it, things had still gone wrong. Barsha! He deserved to wear this mistake, both professionally and personally.
“Hey you.”
The weak voice caught his attention, and he closed his eyes in a silent thank you. Never before had he received such a magical gift. When he opened them it was to see her beautiful eyes, open and clear, watching him. Her slim hand reached for him, and he clasped it. He welcomed the slight pressure of her fingers.
“By Eshra,” he said brokenly, “I thought I’d lost you.”
He gathered her into his arms gently, like the most precious piece of porcelain. Tears rolled down their cheeks as they accepted the welcome support and held onto each other for a moment, anchors in a sea of overwhelming emotion, knowing that whatever came next they would see it through together.
“No, Duvall. I knew you would save me.”
Elara bustled in. “Well, my sensors are working optimally,” she stated, giving them a moment to swipe away the tear tracks. “They told me not only was my patient awake but also moving.” She turned toward the work area, collecting items, then turned back to them. Tapping Duvall on the shoulder, she said, “I need you to let go of her so I can give her a final check over. If I’m happy…” She said it again, emphasizing her words. “If I’m happy with her results, I will release her to you on the understanding that she rests quietly in your cabin.” Elara stopped moving and looked at him. “Captain, you need to leave.”
He started to stand up and move away, under duress.
“No! I want him here…please?” The look in Mellissa’s eye made him grimace. Elara stopped, and he sat back down beside her, holding her hand tight. His Mellissa knew what she wanted, and that was exactly what she’d get.
“Okay, he can stay. But out of my way.” She moved to his side of the bed. “All right, sit forward please.”
Swiftly, Elara checked her over, clucking at the bruises and scrapes. He sucked in a breath when she checked Mellissa’s ribs, the purple-bluish bruising blooming over her skin. Elara had already set a regen strap on her chest to deal with the broken ribs found during her initial evaluation.
“You’re very lucky. Several broken ribs, a lot of bruising, concussion. You’ve been unconscious for several hours, and Duvall has barely left your side. They were just getting started with you when Duvall found you.” Elara relayed the information in a matter-of-fact way.
Elara applied salves to the cuts and applied an antibiotic treatment.
“You are well enough to leave here, but you need to rest. Go slow. I’ll see you in the morning for a check over.” Elara grinned and shooed Duvall out of the room to help Mellissa dress. “I’ll come to you.”
He heard them moving around in the room, talking. He closed his eyes once more as he waited.
* * * *
Later that evening, Duvall gave the order for them to enter the portal. They’d made good speed to the port, pushing the drives hard, Raven having given them the information that he felt the Elector could easily make faster time than they had previously thought possible.
Lying on the lounge chair in the captain’s ready room, Mellissa listened to their discussions. They’d clearly obtained information from the prisoners that filled out the plan. The information they received pointed to a much deeper game.
“The scientist started talking. They’d been creating clones of the human species. Elleston was their first success, but he had problems with accessing the full suite of memories. Just imagine if they’d broken that aspect of the mind. They would have created drones utilizing each individual’s unique DNA sequence and harvested memories, crafted to suit their needs of course to replace the senators who’d be voting.” Chowd looked at Duvall, and she felt horror at what he was sharing. “One of the bodies found was Senator Elleston, a senior cabinet member. We believe their aim was to put in place clones of the people that would work for the Earth Empire in the next fifty years or so. Each member of the Summit had already been chosen and their replacements were being grown in maturational tubes at the back of the building.”
Mellissa wanted to gag, listening to the plan being laid out. “But what could they hope to gain?”
“The intergovernmental alliance wouldn’t happen, an
d space exploration would cease. That would limit any space travel and stop Earth’s alliances which will protect them in the future, particularly against the Ru’Edan.” Duvall concluded the report, shaking his head. “I need to complete my report while in slipstream so I can submit it as soon as we clear into real space.”
“Yes, now that the plan has been uncovered, I doubt they’ll continue down this road. We know what to look for, and given they have had little success and they don’t have the resources to start again I think this plot is done.” Chowd frowned into his Arturian wine. “However, this set back won’t stop their biological testing—the scientists will continue seeking ways to break the humans.”
Mellissa frowned at the caustic emotion in his words. “Chowd, is everything okay?”
He looked at her and smiled. “Yeah, it is. Thanks for caring.”
His odd words surprised her.
Duvall tugged her tighter against himself. “And the Ionic signature?”
“It was Crick Sur Banden.”
Meredith nodded. “After the warehouse was infiltrated, Crick Sur Banden sent an encoded message of retreat to his drones.”
“None of the prisoners have further significant information, but I agree, best to hand them over to the Admiralty.” Chowd nodded at Grayson’s quietly spoken comment. Now that the mission had successfully concluded, they needed to get back to the Admiralty as quickly as possible.
* * * *
During dinner that night, Jem sat sullenly at the end of the table, watching them. Mellissa knew she struggled with every bit of information being shared. She understood it was hard to comprehend, but she also knew if they had stayed, they would both have died.
“Jem?”
“What do you want? To send me somewhere else?”
Mellissa frowned at the anger in her voice. “We just want to help you.” She reached out a hand and Jemma flinched.
“I don’t want your help. I just want…” She blinked furiously and ran from the room. Mellissa rose but Elara patted her hand.
“Leave her be. She has to come to terms with it. And right now, she’s too angry to listen.”
Mellissa hadn’t missed the interested looks Raven had sent in Jemma’s direction, but he didn’t make any moves toward her. It was a tangle and her head had begun the drumbeat ache again.
“You’re beat and supposed to rest. How about I clear everyone out?” Duvall's words filled her with warmth.
“That would be great, but I need to talk to Jem. Show her what would have happened. I can’t stand to see her so upset.”
Duvall wrapped his arms around her, and she rested against him. “I know, but to make a full recovery, you need to rest. I can talk to Jemma if you want me to.”
“No, it should be me, and besides, she doesn’t trust you after the incident in her apartment. It’s just hard, knowing that not once but twice in your life everything is taken from you, and that it happened because of me.” She looked up into Duvall’s eyes. “It’s even harder when it’s someone you know and trust. When someone who knows what you have experienced does it to you.” Her eyes filled with tears.
* * * *
Long after Duvall had talked Mellissa into going to bed, he watched her sleep. Memories of the fear slammed into him again—that she could be hurt again, or even worse dead, almost unmanned him. Tears burned in his eyes, and the weight in his chest seemed to grow bigger and more constricting by the moment. Elara had warned him she might have flashbacks and dreams, so he waited, ready to soothe her.
When she woke, he held her in his arms tenderly.
She traced his face with her hand, the bruises hidden in the dim light, and she smiled at him. When he would have increased the brightness, she stayed him, kissing him on the lips, increasing the pressure.
“I need to hold you, love you, and remind myself that I’m alive and well.” Her warm hands slipped over his shoulders and down his back, tracing the muscles. “I love you,” she told him tenderly.
“And I love you,” he said, touching her like the finest glass, tracing her face with his fingertips.
His heart swelled. He kissed her eyes, then moved onto her cheeks, her chin, and her neck. She stretched up to grant him access to the zones that made her shiver. Dropping light kisses on his shoulders, her tongue barely glancing his skin, made him shiver.
“Touching your body is like touching the hardest metal under a velvet cover.”
He laughed, glorying in the wonderful woman in his arms. “Oh, my love, I could say you are like the petals of a rose, but it’s too cliché.” He snickered, then sobered. “No rose could ever be as beautiful as you.”
Their mouths met once more, this time hot and urgent. He moved her body up against his, holding her so close that her breath whispered over him. They clung to each other.
Gently, he worked his hand down her body, touching her breasts, holding one in his hand, feeling the warm weight, before flicking his thumb against her nipple. It grew engorged and tight. He dipped his head and opened his mouth. She jerked when he blew gently, then tugged lightly with his teeth. She arched and cried out. He soothed it with lapping kisses then long, drugging pulls with his mouth. Then he took the other.
He suckled at her breast, while her restless hands roamed in light touches over his body, finding skin to knead, running her fingers back up to cup his neck. His hand moved down her flat belly toward her core, found it warm and wet, and slid a finger in. He rubbed the sensitive nub, winding her tighter and higher. Her hips moved. Her breathing labored. She cried out in the night, and he swallowed the sound.
She rubbed her thumb over his erection and squeezed down gently. His hips jerked. He slipped a second finger into her, pumping slowly in and out.
“I want to be inside you,” he growled. “I want to be with you forever. To come home to you, even if home is just this cabin.” Her hips jerked. “I want you with me until the end of my days. Tell me you want that too, my love.” His voice was hoarse, and his chest heaved.
“I do, I do,” she crooned.
He pulled his hands from her, opened her thighs wider, and settled between them, guiding the head of his erection to her opening and slipping slowly, oh so slowly, inside her. He burned, so hot, knowing she felt the same. Yet he wanted to do this slowly and gently. He reined in his excitement. This was for her, he reminded himself grimly, hanging on for dear life.
“Now!” she demanded. “Fill me now!”
Her head thrashed, and he embedded himself to the hilt inside her scalding heat. He nudged once, and she sucked in a breath. His heart beat harder and faster than he ever thought possible. He nudged again, and she gripped him, winding her legs around his waist. She bucked against him, and he met her thrust, again and again.
Faster and harder they moved, pushing toward climax, in perfect harmony. He gripped her waist while she held on to his shoulders. Her eyes widened as with a final thrust he felt her contractions begin deep within her body as she tensed in his arms. She let out a soul-deep cry. He couldn’t stop, thrusting again and again. Eshra help him, it pushed him over the edge. He pounded into her, joining her, feeling the powerful jetting as he finally achieved his release.
They lay together in the aftermath. He held her close as their heartbeats slowed. “Stay with me always. Travel the stars with me, and I will show you worlds you couldn’t even imagine.” He smiled as he waited for her response.
She smiled as he cast a look at her. Her quiet “I will” filled the night.
Epilogue
Far into space, a blip of information was sent and quickly received. Crick Sur Banden tsked to himself in anger, his gray skin mottled as he reached for his drink. So the Earth Empire thought they had him beat, did they? That Duvall McCord and his arrogant crew had another thing coming though.
Something quite stunning. His wide mouth stretched over yellowed teeth as he reminded himself of what he had to look forward to.
He rubbed his hands together with glee. “Oh yes, McCo
rd and crew of the Elector, the worst is yet to come.” He clicked on his comm with his bony fingers. “Make haste for Rubicon VII. Anyone who gets in our way, shoot them out of the galaxy.” His long, gray face took on a feral look, and his eyes sparkled with a light of madness.
They might have thought they had won the skirmish, but they certainly hadn’t won the war. The Earth Empire would develop—a shame, for it would be much easier if they hadn’t, but no doubt he’d find another way to remove them.
He looked forward to the high cost they would pay for this defeat. There would be distrust in the ranks. His sigh of satisfaction echoed throughout his uncluttered cabin, bouncing off walls of burnished metal, as he contemplated his next move.
* * * *
Duvall McCord was a happy man. His beautiful bride, Mellissa Davis, smiled at him as she moved down the aisle. He’d given in to her need for a traditional wedding, just as she had agreed to his request for a Communing ceremony. She wore her markings with pride, as did he. It was a compromise that they’d both felt would meet their shared and individual needs.
He grinned as she stopped beside him, and he reached for her hand. He’d researched the archaic ceremony, and his reward? Her face shined as they recited their vows before a beaming Admiral Elphin. He looked at her in the white gown his mother had made for her. Elara and Grayson had agreed to act as witnesses to this special event.
He knew Mellissa was disappointed that Jem had chosen not to attend. It had hurt her deeply, and even more so that Jem had refused to answer any contact that Mellissa had instigated since her placement at the academy.
Raven had agreed to keep an eye on her while she was there. Maybe in time they could bridge the hurt she felt. He hated that he couldn’t reassure Mellissa, but he could and would put her mind at rest about her safety and security. Between himself and Raven, they had pulled every string they could to get her a private room under the surveillance of the best of the tutors. He knew Raven had also asked his parents, both professors, to keep an eye on her. For now, that was the best he could offer.