Defying The Alliance (Novokin Alliance Invasion 1)
Page 11
"I remember the white sandy beach set ablaze by the twin suns as they surrendered to the night. Just you, me and a bottle of sweet Alluvian wine. Remember the morning swims in the cove, under the cool mist of those seven little waterfalls?"
“I remember you trying to swim.”
No matter how tender the memory might've been, that uniform he was wearing left a bitter taste in my mouth. With a tilt of his head and a lowering of his eyelids he turned up the kilopower of his charm up to maximum. "I have to confess Cas, I don’t quite remember how much we swam, but I do remember the fun time we had under those falls," his smile was suggestive and easy, his eyes laser beams of focus, slowly unzipping my uniform, "and the games we played,” he winked.
“Seeing you now, here, I can't help think about the way the water cascaded off your bare shoulders, tiny rivulets meandering down your back, eventually caressing–.”
“–Cough– Liam," I interrupted him, lifting a warning eyebrow.
“Well, I guess, maybe this is more private conversation,” a cocky grin spread across his devilishly handsome face.
Wow, he still seemed so damn sure of himself. But reluctantly I had to admit, when he spoke to me it always felt like it was only the two of us, that we were alone, even on a crowded bridge.
“Ahem,” clearing my throat, I took a step closer to the view screen, making sure to arch my back ever so slightly, to give him the full effect of the girls, "as I said, we were providing assistance to the ship in front of us. You see it's dead in the water. Feel free to scan it for lifeforms, everyone is alive and well. I'm not sure what the problem is?"
His smile tightened and his charmingness faded a few decibels. "It doesn't matter Cas, I've got orders from on high and I'm going to have to detain you here for further questioning." It actually looked like a real emotion crossed his face. Was that guilt? Was he actually feeling guilty for something?
I pursed my lips. I was going for demure sensuality but I was afraid it would just come across as me being subjected to one of Jaxx's now infamous odorous discharges. Reminder to self, never get pregnant.
"Liam, surely, you and I can work something out between the two of us. You of all people should know that deep space can be awfully lonely. Wouldn't you agree with that assessment, Commander?"
That frisky gleam in his eye was back. He caught me talking down to him, a mere commander. "As much as I'd like to play now Captain, I still have to demand you stand down, so I can board your ship."
"Is it really my ship that you want to board?" The air behind me crackled with energy and I was all too aware of the tension emanating in oodles from my golden barbarian. Was he jealous?
"Caspia, I really missed you." Was that sincerity in Liam's voice? Stay focused girl. Hurry up Anya, I need that modified torpedo!
"I know, we had a lot of fun together Liam. I have to ask though, that uniform," I tilted my chin away, as if it hurt to look at him, and if truth be told, it did. "Why?"
"That's an easy one Cas. It was either service or death, and I think we both know I'm far too pretty to die."
The hint of boyish mischief that told me the real Liam was still in there, somewhere. It gave me hope. Hope that our friendship had been real, and the time that we spent together had actually meant something, to the both of us. It also made what I was about to do next, about a thousand times more difficult.
"I know Liam…" Three, two, one – the yellow armed insignia illuminated on the consul in front of me. "I will always keep close to my heart, the time we spent together Liam… So, I'm truly sorry."
"Sorry for what?" The look of utter confusion on his face was heartbreaking, but so was the sight of him in that uniform.
"For this." I uttered, allowing him to watch, as my finger dropped to the consul, falling onto the button, which launched the modified torpedo. We all stood transfixed by the second image on the viewer, as the projectile flew dead center into the contingent of Alliance vessels and exploded in a dazzling array of white and blue against the black expanse of space.
Liam's eyes went wide. "What the–." The connection was severed from his end, presumably by the loss of power.
I wasn't able to pull myself away from the image of my past, that would haunt me anew. I whispered a command to my helmsman. "Get us the prak out of here."
Epilogue
Asmot's boots crunched on colorful shards of broken glass spewn about the room. He surveyed what was once the mobile living quarters of the New Astorian Prime Minister, disguised as a cargo ship. His face grim and unreadable. Spotting two of his guards in a far corner, flanking the still bound crew of the cargo ship, Asmot changed his direction.
A small, weaselly looking Terran in what appeared to be frilly pink silk robe and fuzzy slippers was kicking up a fuss, demanding the guards release him. The annoying, little alien male called out to him, trying to stand as he approached.
"Thank goodness, you're here Captain, these idiots refused to let us go."
Asmot signaled his guards to allow the male to stand up. "What happened here Prime Minister?"
"One of the old Protectorate Captains." The prime minister shot hate filled looks when it seemed like the guards were going to push him back down again as he lurched towards the Novokin Captain. They made no move but to snicker. He then waddled up to Captain Asmot, still bound at the ankles like a fatted Larludian pig awaiting slaughter.
"They called her Jones. Her and her crew disabled my ship and then stripped it clean. She assaulted me Captain. She then had her psy-witch try to tear secrets out of my head." The puny male shook his bulbous head to illustrate his point.
A psy-witch. Interesting. Asmot mused and leveled a dark scowl on the tiny male, stepping forward. "What exactly did you tell them, Prime Minister?" Asmot uttered in a cold, smooth voice.
"Nothing." The groveling alien male tried to backpedal out of Asmot's path. Realizing the Novokin Captain wasn't stopping, the prime minister frantically looked around for help. His head banged into a bulkhead jutting out from the wall. Asmot had him cornered.
"Then why did they let you live?" The smile on his purple lips didn't quite reach his eyes.
"I...I don't know what you mean?" The prime minister’s sparse hairline beaded with sweat.
"I mean, why didn't they destroy all of the evidence? Why not erase any trace of them ever having been here? Come now Minister, even you know the question that begs to be answered. Why did she leave you alive?"
"Captain, do you know who I am?" The scrawny pink male with a potbelly in the pink robe had apparently decided it was time to stand his ground. Who would've guessed, Asmot thought, the little skeckling actually has some teeth. Good for him. Unfortunately they were a far cry from being as sharp as his.
"I know exactly who you are." Asmot gave a partial bow. The perplexed look on the prime minister's face was priceless. "You're the great and noble Prime Minister of the people of New Astoria. You sacrificed so much for peace in your galaxy, only to be brutally assassinated by filthy marauders. Marauders that were once part of your so-called Protectorate."
The prime minister's face reddened, his consternation evident in his raised voice. "What nonsense is this? It didn't happen that way, I just told you they restrained us, then took–."
PhsstSCHOOOOM!
A fist size hole now extended from where the prime minister's left eye had been only a millisecond before, through the back of his skull. Cauterized by the heat of Captain Asmot's plasma pistol, the prime minister swayed in place for the briefest of moments, before his lifeless husk crumpled to the ground.
The captain of the formidable Novokin ship, the Harbinger, turned to his guards. "Kill them all."
End of Book 1
Look for Defying the Alliance: Book 2 coming this November
and Defying the Alliance: Book 3 in December
If you haven’t checked out the first 2 books of my Syalantian Series. Its a super, sexy, out of this world adventure on Saturn’s largest moon, Titan!
> Titan Rising: Part 1
Titan Rising: Part 2
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--Bobbi Ross