by Shae Mills
Chelan leaned back against the wall. “I am sorry. It is just... He was there when Talon died. I associate him with treachery. At times I am uncomfortable with him, though there is no basis. That has always been the case.”
Korba watched her for a time. “I think I can pinpoint part of your unease with the man.”
“What?”
“Could it be his size? Not many men are larger than the Warlords.”
Chelan squinted at him. “And so?”
“And so, the only other man fitting Lethiason’s build was Ticees.”
Chelan looked off into the distance. “Maybe,” she whispered. Then her mood lightened. “What about Ilan?” she suggested.
Korba smiled. “Done. RIBUS 15 it is.” Then he drew her back down to the bed. “Come here. Enough conjecturing and no more planning. Shanna will be needing you soon and you must rest.”
Chelan snuggled into him, but images of RIBUS 7 danced relentlessly through her head. If it were not for her fatigue, she would have been jumping with joy, for in a way, she was going home again, and soon.
Chapter 6
WITH MARRI’S HELP AND Stose’s care, Chelan recovered quickly, and soon she was her old self again. Days were spent with Shanna and Jason while they all waited for the reports from the convoys. Finally, the data arrived. RIBUS 7 was salvageable, and the plans to retrieve her were set in motion.
CHELAN WALKED THE DECKS of RIBUS 1 for the first time. The ship was new to her, yet completely familiar. A man named Rayik had been chosen by Korba as one of his Seconds in Command, working alongside another man, Tannis, who had long ago replaced Tarn. Korba had chosen two men for the role on this trip, rather than one, so he could spend more time dedicated to the task of RIBUS 7 and, even more importantly, have ample time to devote to his family.
Yanis was head of security, replacing Lazen, who like Tarn had been killed in the battle against Talon. Zane commanded RIBUS 5, choosing Lethiason as his Second in Command, which was fine with Chelan. As long as Lethiason had someone over him and was not at the helm of a battleship, she was at ease.
Chelan had not hesitated with the third battleship, and Korba confirmed that RIBUS 15, with Ilan as her Commander, would accompany them. Ilan selected a seasoned warrior, Trenton, as his Second in Command, and soon the three ships were outfitted and ready to go.
Chelan did last-minute checks over the officers. Then she looked at Korba. “You are sure I have Stose this time?”
The Emperor chuckled. “I did not think you would make the same oversight again.”
Chelan rolled her eyes. “I am not complaining about Whelan, but it was such an unnecessary strain.”
Just then the main doors opened, and Marri strode into the private Command Center of RIBUS 1. “All is well, my Lady, my Lord. Jason and Shanna are settled into the diplomatic suite across the corridor. It has been fully readied, and extra security is in place.”
Chelan smiled. “They are sleeping, I assume?”
Marri nodded. “Well, Shanna is. Jason is working on some battle scenarios on a simulator. Sarah is watching over the both of them for the moment.” Marri took a seat next to the two of them. “Are we on our way?”
Korba nodded and looked at the 3-D displays. “We have just cleared the shielding. The jump to hyperdrive should occur momentarily.”
Chelan and Marri watched the screens, and then suddenly the image of Iceanea distorted and was gone. Spots of light came into view, lengthened, and disappeared as they sped past the stars.
Chelan was completely awestruck. Then suddenly she sprang to her feet and clutched at her head.
Marri and Korba were both startled by her abrupt motion. Korba lurched to his feet, grabbing her. “What is it?”
Chelan gasped. “My head! It felt like it was going to explode from pressure. Then I could see images.”
“Of what?”
Chelan was wide-eyed. “I do not know. Dark corridors, maybe tunnels? Torn metal. I am not sure.”
Korba held her tight to him as he slammed his fist down on the hailing frequency.
“Rayik here.”
“Rayik, our jump, was it routine?”
“Yes, my Lord. Nothing abnormal to report.”
Marri stood and looked at Korba, the concern on his face making her edgy. “What do you suspect, my Lord?”
Korba shook his head as he studied Chelan. “Maybe some sort of space-time distortion. I don’t know.”
Chelan finally took a deep breath. “I am fine now. It was but momentary. It was just like images infused with tiny explosions. I cannot really describe it.”
“Has this happened before?”
Chelan furrowed her brows. “No. I have made the jump before many times over the years, including with Talon in the fighters. There has never been a problem.”
Marri tried to still her thudding heart. “Maybe we passed through something only Chelan could detect.”
“Maybe,” Korba whispered skeptically.
Chelan squeezed her eyes tight and then opened them. “No matter; all is well now.”
Korba sat her down. “I should summon Stose?”
“No. I am fine. I am sure it was just the jump. Maybe having had the baby changed something—who knows?”
Korba sat down in front of her, his concern plaguing him. But there was nothing he could do except keep an eye on her.
Marri watched them for a moment and then spoke. “I think I will go check on the children, just in case.”
Chelan looked up and smiled. “Thank you, Marri. I am sure they are fine, but it is good to take a peek.”
Korba took a deep breath, his focus still intently upon Chelan. “Check them carefully, Marri. They are of Chelan’s blood.”
Marri nodded and left quickly. Chelan stared at him. “What is wrong? You suspect they suffered the same malady, whatever it was?”
“I hope not. But they are of you. If something is not quite right, it could affect them also.”
Chelan leapt to her feet and dashed for the doors. Korba ran after her and both burst into the diplomatic suite. But Marri looked up at them calmly. “They are fine, my Lord, my Lady. Both of them are well.”
Chelan glanced at Shanna, fast asleep, and acknowledged the woman sitting beside her baby. “Sarah. Nothing untoward has happened that you have noticed?”
The warrior shook her head. “No, my Lady. I have been by her side the whole time. Marri told me what had happened, but Shanna has not stirred.”
Chelan gave the woman a small smile and then she hustled to Jason.
The boy glanced up at his mom, completely unperturbed. “You should try this war game, Mom. It is really complicated. You would love it.”
“Which one is it?”
“Hmm, the one in the Cassiar group.” He grimaced as a fighter succumbed to a missile. “I will tell you about it later, but right now I am a little busy.”
Chelan smiled and kissed his head, her heart rate beginning to slow. She nodded to Marri. “All seems normal. But I would like you to stay with them and watch them closely. If you notice anything at all, call Stose right away, and then us.”
Marri nodded. “I will keep on top of it. I will not miss a thing.”
“Thank you, Marri.” Then she allowed Korba to escort her back into the Command Center. There, she tried to calm what was left of her frayed nerves. “You scared the life out of me.”
Korba sat down heavily. “And you just scared the life out of me.” He grabbed her by the hand and pulled her into his lap. “I want you to tell me if you have any more episodes like that.”
Chelan curled up against him, his strong arms comforting her. “I will,” she whispered.
Korba held her for a long time, inhaling her sweet scent. He closed his eyes. “What about the nightmares?”
Chelan snuggled in tight to him, her face buried in his long, thick hair. “I do not seem to have them as much. I am sleeping better, and I guess I have finally come to the conclusion that no one is going to sna
tch my children away from me again.”
Korba rested his cheek on her head. “No one would dare try,” he muttered. “There will be no mistakes this time. Millions of battleships now comb the known galaxy. They are my eyes, and they see all. There will be no more surprises.”
Chelan smiled. “When I first came to you on board RIBUS 7, there were so few actively employed.”
“Things were calm then.”
“Or so it seemed?”
Korba huffed. “Yes, so it seemed.”
Chelan stared off into space. “I know neither of us touch on the topic of the war much... either war. But tell me, what happened to your crew?”
“Most perished.”
“But some did not?”
“So very few,” he lamented.
Chelan’s fingers traced over his ebony-clad chest. “We lost Tarn.”
Korba nodded. “And Toran, along with all his crew.”
Chelan took in a shaky breath. “I look at Marri, Stose, Ilan, and Yanis, and I remember so much that can never be again. It is as if I have lost an entire family. To build a new one will take so much time.” She pushed herself up and looked deep into his eyes. “Your men, your friends, all of them—how do you adjust to their loss? You knew them for decades.”
Korba took his time, his mind catapulted back over the past. “Adjust is an adequate description of what must occur to go forward. Recover? Well, barely. Heal? Never completely. Not from that kind of catastrophic loss. You bury the pain and move on, immerse yourself in work.”
Chelan looked down momentarily. “RIBUS 7 carries with her all my most precious memories. There I came to love you, and Fremma and Dar. On her decks, I grew and blossomed. Within her, I learned to love with all my heart, and I was loved in return with the same passion by all three of you. I was safe, and she was home.” She peered up into his azure eyes. “What does she harbor for you?”
“What do you mean?”
“I know you retrieve her for me. But what of your memories? I do not want you to be pained by her presence.”
Korba smiled, his fingers tracing over her satin cheek. “I am not pained by her or her memories. I commanded her through decades of adventures, countless battles all waged to better the Empire... all gloriously successful.” His lips thinned momentarily. “Well, the Balatesian system was nearly a disaster. But it was during that time, and on her decks, that I obtained you, and my life has forever been changed by that one beautiful event.”
Chelan blushed. “I want you to be truthful with me. Our meeting aside, I know RIBUS 7 was all to you, and the men and women that walked her decks meant just as much. They are but ghosts now. I will not pursue her if it is deleterious to you.”
Korba kissed her lips tenderly. “You worry too much. The prospect of having her back excites me. And as I said, she is just as special to me as she is to you. By salvaging her and bringing back her to her former majesty, I honor all who ever graced her decks.”
Chelan’s eyes misted with mixed emotions. “Will I be able to board her?”
Korba hesitated. “Ah... Maybe. But only once she has been made safe, and then only certain areas. She is vast. We will repair only the bare minimum for now. She needs to be rendered relatively safe for my crews first, then made travelworthy. If all goes well and we achieve that, then maybe I will allow you brief visits.”
Chelan felt a surge of excitement course through her. “I cannot wait! The next few months are going to be unbearable. I want to be there now.”
Korba chuckled. “Patience, my Lady. The galaxy does not give up her expanse easily. This will take some time.”
Chelan nestled back down into his chest. “So much time,” she whispered seductively as her fingers began down his body.
Korba’s hand slipped around her slender frame, his fingers pulling the strap of her gown down. Chelan twisted in his lap and straddled him. His hands flowed over her swollen breasts and her breathing hitched. “We may be disturbed,” she uttered breathlessly.
Korba ran his tongue up her neck as he reached behind himself. “Not a chance.” And he hit a switch.
Chelan rose up and threw her head back, offering her breasts to him.
His lips found her hard nipples. He held her about the waist as he took his first taste of her ready flesh. Instantly, his senses were flooded by the flow of her warm sweet milk and he moaned in ecstasy as he drank of her.
Chelan pressed his head tight to her, her body on fire, his tender suckling sending raging heat throughout her being. She reached down and released him from his pants. Her fingers ran the length of his thickness. He was as hard as steel, and his sheer size made her shudder. How he could take her time and time again and never hurt her, she would never know. And how a man so powerful could take her at times so forcefully and yet always so gently was also a mystery. But he mastered it all.
Chelan eased herself down on him, his hardness piercing her softness. They complemented one another in every way, the dichotomy of their bodies in perfect balance and harmony. As she took him into her depths, his fullness filled every part of her, the fit—the sensations—perfect.
She looked over his handsome face, his blue-black hair framing his features with a beauty and fierceness that mimicked all that was about him. He was a mortal man yet he was a god. He was the devil yet to her he was a saint. He represented death yet he delivered love and life with the same ferocity. He was all to the universe yet he was hers alone.
Then suddenly she was startled from her thoughts as he rose to his feet with fluid strength, his hands holding her firmly to him. He lifted her slightly and eased himself from her creamy depths. As her feet touched the ground, her gown fell to the floor.
He smiled at her, his fingers touching her face delicately. Then he moved her to the chair and urged her to sit. He knelt before her and stared into her dark eyes. He loved this little alien more than life itself. Her mere presence caused every nerve in his body to arc, and the sight of her nakedness before him now ignited a fire within in him no less intense than all the times that had gone before.
He watched as she nestled back into the massive command chair, her face aglow with passion, her body poised with invitation. He slipped out of his shroud and then removed the ebony jacket that painted his flesh. Gently, he parted her legs, letting them be supported by the arms of the cradling chair.
She closed her eyes, her chest rising and falling deeply with anticipation.
He watched her as her full breasts beckoned to him, her entire body a tapestry to be touched and worshiped all at once. He wanted her to envelop him, to coat him completely with her warmth and passion. He wanted to consume her in her entirety.
His hands smoothed down her inner thighs and stopped when his fingers met the golden curls so exotic to him. Almost tentatively, he parted her with his fingers, her glistening folds dissolving his control bit by bit. He loved the silky way she felt as his fingers explored her, and more than that, he adored the way she responded to him, her flesh quivering and contracting to his every touch.
With one hand, he held her wide. With his other fingers, he brushed over her folds and finally traversed into her depths. He felt her muscles contract, her soft moans music to his ears. Then he bent forward and took his first, long taste of her.
But Chelan couldn’t take his sweet torture for long. She glanced down at him, her fingers entangling in his lustrous mane. She pulled him from her depths and up to her, kissing his mouth hard. “I want you inside,” she whispered.
Korba buried his face in her slender neck, his hands surrounding her curving hips. Easily, he entered her slippery well, her body arching to his. With his tongue, he traced down to her breasts. Sliding smoothly and gently within her depths, he took her nipple deep within his mouth.
Chelan looked up at the ceiling, her breath stolen. Maybe the next few months would not take that long after all, she thought, and she writhed in ecstasy.
Korba straightened and looked down at the satin body beneath him.
He watched as he withdrew, his thick member coated with her cream. As he pushed forward into her again, he marveled at her physical resiliency, just as he always had. Every time he made love to his beautiful woman, every time he sank his entire length within her, he half expected her to cry out in pain. But she never had, her small body taking all of him eagerly.
As he continued his slow penetrations, his fingers found her hard nodule, and expertly he brought her to a soft, undulating peak. As her contractions clamped down on him, his thrusts became that much more urgent, and suddenly he bent forward, his body surging to the rhythm of his orgasm.
Chelan grabbed his hair with both hands and pulled him down onto her. Then her legs surrounded his muscular waist, holding him tight and keeping him buried deep within her. “I love you,” she cooed.
Korba stroked her supple breast, his head pressed to her chest as the last of their spasms passed. “I love you too, Chelan, as hard and as much as I always have.”
Chelan smiled as she smoothed his long hair. “I would love to have you in me all day, but I have to nurse Shanna.”
Korba grinned, his fingers playing all over her taut nipple. “I could help.”
Chelan chuckled. “You already did. You have to leave some, however.”
Korba’s tongue touched her, flickering over her sensitive tip.
Chelan went to push him away but was suddenly unable. With his organ still deep within her, she was no match against his desires... or her own.
His hand raised her full breast to him and he sucked her gently. Chelan thought she was going to burst. She felt her milk flow again, and along with it a new flood between her legs.
She straightened up from the chair, forcing him to let go of her breast. Then she pushed against him until he had no choice but to fall on his back upon the floor, taking her with him. Chelan kissed his mouth hard as she surged over him. Then she sat up and cleared her hair from her face. He continued to drive up deep into her, and she reached back, clutching his undulating softness within her hands, kneading him, squeezing him. His fingers stroked her breasts, his touch slippery with her milk.