by Bobbi Ross
Then I felt the familiar caress of a large hand on the curve of my lower back and a familiar prickling sensation rode up and down my spine radiating to every part of my body. And I mean every part. My muscles relaxed and I leaned my head onto his impressive, golden chest. His arms folded around me into his sweet embrace, making me feel safe again as the rhythmic, slow beat of his heart coaxed mine to slow down and cool off. We stayed like that for what felt like an eternity. I breathed in his natural scent, a musky mix of summer with a hint of apples. He felt like home. I haven’t felt peace like that since my father died, since my family died. And just like that, the anger melted off me like a winter’s frost in the glow of the spring sunrise. I'd be angry later about them getting me unangry, but that was later.
I lifted my head looking first at the golden barbarian and then at Julie. "Thanks guys,” I beamed at both of them, taking a deep breath. “Really, thank you all so much for your support,” I said louder making sure to include both Jaxx and Anya. “But what we have is a confession under duress, during an act of piracy. The Alliance will spin this like a child's top."
Julie's eyes widened and her mouth fell open looking like she had just swallowed a Itaxian farting bug. She spun on both of us. "What about the Prime Minister's own personal files? The holo-recordings his aide mentioned during the second part of the interrogation. Apparently, his boss recorded all of his meetings, including his dealings with the Alliance’s advance scouts. We surely can use those."
Anya didn't bother to turn from the power coupling, she was in the process of dismantling, but was nice enough to grace us with her opinion anyway. "Those are on New Astoria honey, which is ground zero of the Novokin Alliance. It's their Central Command, if you will. There's no way an entire fleet of Protectorate Warbirds at their prime, let alone one Warbird with a handful of crew members, half of which are untrained refugees, are getting through."
Julie's shoulders sank. I pulled her to me, and squeezed her in my arms. I'm sure, it's because she needed a hug.
Jaxx piped up over the comm line again. "Then what are you going to do with the Prime Minister, Captain? Especially now that he knows, who you are and that you're out here. Plus, with the information you extracted, you're now an obvious threat to him and his position. Should we kill them? Kill them all? Blow up the ship?"
I shook my head, rubbing my aching temple. I knew it was my first officer’s hormones speaking. He'd never been a violent man. Quite the opposite really. He held life, all life sacred, above all else. But he posed a valid question. Everyone around me stopped working. Eyes on me, waiting for an answer. An answer, I didn't have.
"I don't know." I blurted, palms up.
My comm squawked again. I don't recall having this many conversations over an open channel, before I had to take my ship rogue.
"Captain, it looks like we've got a bigger problem on our hands. I'm reading six Alliance signatures, headed our way and fast," Jaxx’s frantic voice filled the prime minister’s now broken apartment.
The rapidly annexing tension stole everyone’s breath around me. The room went still and silent. After finding my own breath, I asked evenly, "How long?" and held it, once more.
"Less than three minutes, Captain."
Chapter 11
"… continued travesties. We will not consent to be treated like this."
The pest’s squeaking voice was getting in his nerves. Captain Asmot gave a placid smile then signaled his communications officer to cut the audio.
The face on the view screen yelling and gesturing at him was from the moon his ship now orbited. It was markedly different than his own. The man's coloring was a deep cerulean blue, with a fine white quilting of what looked like feathers in place of hair. He was small and reminded Asmot the morning birds he and his fellow trainees used to take practice shots at behind the barracks as a youth. Disgusting.
Asmot had little time for other species. He was lucky enough to have been born and bred on the Novokin home world. While growing up he wasn't forced to suffer the impurity and low intellect of species of such substandard genetics. It wasn't until he joined the guard that he was confronted with the true depth of the ugliness, the universe had to offer. An ugliness that he was willing to rectify, if he was given the chance. If the decision were his. Unfortunately it was not. He was but one ship in the indomitable Novokin Alliance fleet. But his was a powerful ship, and his exemplary service and dedication to the Alliance allowed him a certain leeway to his actions.
The man on the screen had gone still, finally done with his frivolous rant. Asmot gestured to his communications officer to reengage the audio. "So let me make sure I understand what you're saying Magistrate Ohaka. You will not allow any Alliance ship to dock on your world until your demands are met?"
"Not...not demands Captain. Basic sentient being rights." The blue man bristled then let out a nervous squawk. He seemed taken aback by the captain's choice of words.
"So Magistrate, you're denying us access; a Novokin Alliance vessel to dock on a Novokin Annexed world." Asmot uttered the words in a low, deep tone, fixing his cold, flat eyes on his chosen victim. He meant to intimidate and terrorize while entrapping his prey, before he struck with precision and often lethal force. He lived for the thrill of the hunt. It made him feel powerful, in control.
The blue man now seemed confused. Sensing he had already lost somehow and yet unable to contemplate the magnitude of his misstep. "What would you do in our situation Captain?"
The audacity of this particular vermin attempting to plead with him further irritated Asmot.
"I'd fight," Asmot offered, hardly able to contain his excitement.
Stumbling over his words the man from the small moon below spoke. "Then that's what we’re doing here. I guess your request to land is denied? Captain Asmot?"
Asmot chuckled to himself, This blue abomination didn't even have the fortitude to make a proper stand. He tented his fingers in anticipation. His body started to tingle.
"Excellent." He sneered and turned to his crew to make sure that everything was ready. He wanted this executed with symphonic precision. He nodded and gestured commands to his bridge crew. He made sure to drag out each agonizing second, so that the last thing the blue skinned man on the moon below would hear was his single final command. Captain Asmot relaxed back into his chair, then threw a finger forward, pointing at the confused alien.
"Fire," he shouted letting all his abhorrence for this male and his species to finally show in his face.
During the entirety of his conversation with the feathered man, he had given command to his crew to seed the stratosphere of the moon with MagnesiumXeflate particles, mixed with a fine red Veridzium ore. The key concentration point of the particles in the stratosphere already targeted and locked, his ship fired a single torpedo high above the central city of the moon's surface.
The resulting explosion ignited the MagnesiumXeflate particles and was in a word, spectacular. Even more so, the resulting red fire that tore through the sky was Asmot's own personal signature. This dramatic flair had long ago earned him the nickname, Red Sky. Once the stratosphere was destroyed, the atmosphere of the moon would be pulled into space.
He slid back into his chair, as he watched red waves encircle the moon. It was much smaller than the worlds he usually destroyed, only about 22,000 inhabitants, if he could recall correctly. Within minutes it was merely a mass grave for 22,000 corpses. A twinge of sadness at the display being over tugged at him, until he remembered his special orders from the supreme commander. A smile pulled at the corner of his mouth.
"Helm, take us to sector 23. I believe we have a party to attend."
Chapter 12
"There Captain," Jaxx magnified the distant speck on the view screen. Everyone on the bridge tensed, as the monitor zeroed in on the six Novokin Alliance ships closing on our position. My first officer’s fingers danced across his consul, as he scanned the incoming vessels.
"One ship appears to be a Thegn' class
light cruiser, and the other five are Drengr class heavy fighters."
I let out a breath, I wasn’t aware I was holding. Turning to Jaxx, I smiled. "Nothing that the Razor can't easily handle."
"Yes easily, as long as I have a full engineering complement afterwards to affect repairs. Hmmm, better yet maybe we'll just pull into one of those handy-dandy Protectorate space ports." The sarcasm of my engineer's voice over the ship's intercom bit me like a red-tailed Floturan honeybee. That woman was incorrigible. I understand Anya being fiercely protective of the Razor, but sometimes I swear she seemed to care more about the ship than the people on it.
“I promise, we’ll do our best to keep your baby in one piece,” my patience paper thin.
“Thanks Captain, much appreciated.”
"They're not slowing down Captain. They'll be within weapons range in 30 seconds." Jaxx warned.
Oh boy, more good news. I held up a hand, when Jaxx looked like he was going to inquire about further directions. The readouts on his station’s monitor must've mirrored what I already knew. Realization hit him as a slow grin sprouted on his green face. He had forgotten about the false signal, we were transmitting. They thought, they were closing in on a mouse, but they'd discover a lioness in wait.
"Now they're slowing down. They must be in visual range,” my commander’s eyes bright with mischief. “Probably scratching their heads at the appearance of a Protectorate Warbird."
"Most likely pissing themselves," Lieutenant Dodson chimed in.
I could pull my hair out. Protocol people! Protocol.
An angry hailing beep clamored for attention over the open communication line. Stepping forward, hoping to forestall any overzealous button pushing, I gave a curt command. "Don't answer that."
I took a moment to center myself, relax, and straighten my uniform, before I addressed my fine crew. "Alright people, give me options."
"Destroy them," Lieutenant Cobbs was quick to suggest.
Julie slowly inched forward, but remained silent. I nodded to her, and that seemed to disperse the cloud of shyness draped over her. "Run, we’re faster than them." Everyone turned to look at her. How did she know we were faster than them, she wasn’t even from our galaxy. "What? I like to read," she shrugged.
I was really starting to like this girl.
My eyes darted around the room looking for him. A second later, a low hum of energy tickled the skin on the back of my neck, well before, his shadow engulfed me. I bit the inside of my cheek, taking a deep breath before I turned and faced him. The second his hazel green eyes made contact with mine, my heart skipped a beat. Heat spread across my cheeks and I squeezed my thighs tight to somehow push back the heated avalanche flooding my sex. The tickle I felt previously on my neck now radiated throughout my body. My legs moved me closer to him before I realized what I was doing. His eyes narrowed, and a sidelong, impish grin cracked his gorgeous face before he spoke.
"They haven't fired yet, so the simple truth is they are as confused as us. They realize they are outgunned and they do not know what to make of us." A subtle glint in his eye told me that the big, golden barbarian was fully aware of the effect he was having on me. Prak. That made him so much harder to resist.
Anya's voice crackled over the intercom. "Captain if I may interject?"
“Yes, Chief,” for God sakes, yes! Anything to pull me out of his hypnotic stupor.
"Technically, we have more firepower than them, and yes technically we are faster..."
Her dramatic pauses never boded well for me or my ship. I knew I was going to regret it. "What does technically mean, Chief?"
"Well the suggestions were all correct. The Razor has all of these capabilities, and more. When my crew of three people, I remind you, only three people,” she intoned for effect, “is finished installing all the components, we procured, and have had time to charge the fuel cells, she'll be a mighty force to be reckoned with." Anya was always the bright spot in my day. I could always count on her. Good as she was at her job, she was like an all consuming, Terran-Duskanite vortex that sucked in every shred of hope and happiness from my day.
"Skeck." I grumbled at her through gritted teeth."Would you please be so kind as to tell me what we do have available, Chief?"
"About 60% shields, weapons at 13%, and one torpedo."
"One? Last time I checked we had eight torpedoes, what happened?" Now she was just doing it on purpose. Why did this woman hate me?
"Nothing happened, Captain." I could hear her eyes rolling even through the intercom. "We needed to take a number of systems off-line to integrate the new power conduits we took from the Prime Minister’s ship. It's not exactly one-size-fits-all."
"Well what do you suggest?" I asked through clenched teeth.
"Probably the quickest solution I could give you would be to refit the torpedo with some of the ship’s antimatter."
Finally, something that made sense. "Thus disabling their propulsion and navigational systems with some sort of super EMP." I clarified, as the wings of hope fluttered anew in my chest.
"Correct, Captain."
“Well done, Chief. I could kiss you right now!” I said excited.
“Sorry Captain, I've got work to do. Maybe later,” she chuckled.
Oh I loved this woman. I take back everything. Hell, if this worked, I’d let her stare at Trex for hours on end. I sneaked a furtive glance at my barbarian friend. He caught me with his smoldering olive eyes and I melted into the floor. Okay I take it back. Nobody can look at Trex but me.
"We will have to get them close together," he added in his gruff, sexy voice, holding my gaze hostage, trapped by the predatory shimmer of his eyes. My chest heaved, as deep arousal infused all my feminine parts. My breasts thrust forward as my nipples hardened begging to be rubbed and a shiver slithered through me.
A sidelong curl of his sensual lips and a look of satisfaction were etched in his features. Damn him.
Julie broke the staring contest. "How close?"
".4 kilosteps." Jaxx was fiercely running calculations. Something bothered him, because the look on his face wasn’t the strong, confident first officer I was used to. "At that range, they could still use torpedoes,” his voice sounded on the brink of panic.
I was worried. He shouldn’t stress in his condition. I could –.
Anya piped in, "But at that distance, they risk destroying themselves in the blast. The 60% we have available for shields, which by the way are far superior to any of theirs, should be enough to come through the pulse with a minimal drain or damage to our systems. Meaning, when the skeck hits the fan, we can just fly away."
"Sounds like a plan." I have the best crew in the universe.
"I'll need at least seven minutes Captain." With Anya, there was always a catch, but I expected that.
Working the clamp in my hair, I undid the tight ponytail it was in, shaking it out for maximum effect. And then I noticed that everybody was watching me. It was as if all of a sudden, I was back in high school, having a nightmare about giving an oral report on the book I hadn't read, in my underwear.
I pulled out my best Captain's voice. "All right people, everybody act natural. Let's hear what the Novokin scum have to say." That broke the tension, and I watched as shoulders relaxed and everyone took some calming breaths. I signaled to open the comm.
"Illegal Protectorate ship, you will lower your shields, discharge your weapons and prepare to be boarded. If you do not comply in one minute, you will be fired upon. Illegal Protectorate ship, you will lower –."
That was rude. I gave the lieutenant a slicing motion across my neck for him to turn it off.
A blinking blue light on my own consul signified a third part of the plan, an old fall back we hadn’t used in ages. The readout stated that Anya had not only stopped transmitting the false sensor readings that cloaked our signal as an Alourian freighter, but tweaked it so they knew exactly who we were. A Protectorate Warbird. As an added bonus it was now sending them a signal that sugg
ested we were armed to the teeth and ready to fight with a full complement of weapons currently charged and primed. A much much better position for negotiating.
With a slight tilt of my head the lieutenant reopened the channel. "This is the –cough– ship Razor. We were responding to a distress call in the sector. Please stand down any aggressions. I repeat we were responding to a distress call in the sector." That should confuse them even more and buy Anya a few more minutes.
Now a little orange light blinking under the main viewscreen indicated that the captain of this little force wanted to talk in person. Good, I needed to draw them in closer, anyway.
The image of the six ships in the black starscape in front of us morphed into the face of a handsome young Terran, replete with wavy jet black hair, cut short and pushed over to one side. His strong angular nose led down to an almost feminine set of full lips, which twisted into a smile as my image came in to view for him.
"Caspia," he gasped, a hint of surprise coating his honeyed voice. The same honeyed voice, which had lured me into his bed many a time before. The flashing of his blue eyes made my chest tighten, but the site of the Novokin uniform on his perfectly chiseled body and the ranking that it signified forced bile in my mouth.
"Liam." I said.
Chapter 13
"As I live and breathe, if it isn't Captain Caspia Jones. You're looking tasty as ever."
From the corner of my eye I noticed Julie fluffing her red hair. I could practically hear Anya purring on the other end of the intercom. Liam Siegel always had that effect on women. Even Jaxx straightened his posture ever so slightly, when Liam started talking. Men want to be him, and women want to be with him. Then it dawned on me, he was talking this whole time and I hadn't paid a damn bit of attention.
"– What's it been Cas, three years and two months since the beach on Parisia Prime? I remember waking up to the sun rising over your hips, the gleam of the waves from the sapphire sea on the horizon." He was laying it on thick, but I had to stall, so I needed to play along.