Vall's Will

by Linda Mooney

  Uli.

  The white light was everywhere now. Shadows moved within the intense glow. Will assumed they were the Ben Objure. It was a good thing they’d stopped firing at Vall. She had no idea why they’d ceased their attack once they’d hit her. Maybe they were shocked at themselves for killing a Nion warrior. Or maybe they were stunned because they’d managed to hit her. She’d told them they were being surrounded. They knew she wouldn’t have lied about that fact. By now, the ships should be in place.

  Uli.

  “My Will. My Will.”

  Vall continued to repeat those two words. His voice broke, forcing him to retreat to calling out to her mentally.

  Uli.

  My Will. My Will. My Will.

  Uli.

  In the back of her mind, something told her a third entity had invaded her mind. Something or someone who continued to say Uli.

  The coldness left her.

  My Will.

  Uli.

  The pain left her.

  Her vision began to clear.

  Feeling came back to her limbs, to her feet and her hands.

  My Will.

  His voice was no longer filled with fear. It didn’t plead with her. It didn’t border on sorrow.

  “My Will.”

  Will felt herself being turned to a vertical position. Her feet touched the floor, and although her legs felt wobbly and unsure, she found herself standing. Her one hand, however, remained on her pistol.

  The light continued to surround them, but this time one of the shadowy figures approached them, coming closer until it coalesced into a humanoid figure.

  It was a Resplendent. There was no mistaking the distinctive features. Through the layers of diaphanous material wrapped around his body, she could see it was a male, larger and older than Vall. The man smiled at her inquisitive stare.

  “You are Will.”

  Her first response was to turn and look up at the young man standing behind her. All trace of the creature which had fought the Ben Objure was gone. Vall’s eyes were clear of hatred. He also smiled at her, taking one of her hands in his and pressing it to his chest.

  “You are Will,” the man repeated.

  She nodded. “Yes. I’m Captain Willis Tayte, of the Nion warship, Trinity of Hope.” She moved her shoulders, but there was no twinge of pain. The agony was gone. “You saved me.” She quietly dared the Resplendent to deny the miracle. Instead, the man’s smile widened.

  “We have been watching. We have been waiting.”

  “Watching and waiting for what?”

  “To find Uli. For Uli to come into his own. For him to find his strength. For him to decide his destiny and purpose.”

  “For…Uli?” Will widened her eyes up at the young man holding her hand. “Your real name is Uli.” She felt like kicking herself. All this time, Vall had been telling her who he really was. She hadn’t made the connection.

  Will bowed her head to the Resplendent. “Thank you for my life.”

  “No. We thank you. You brought him to us.”

  “Brought him to you? No. I mean, how?”

  “You were able to intercede. You stopped him from turning. You gave him purpose in life. You became his Will.”

  The comment reminded her that they were surrounded by nearly a dozen armed Ben Objure. She tried to spot them beyond the ring of light, without any luck.

  “The Ben Objure.”

  “They are unhurt. They are resting in time while we talk.”

  “My Will.” An arm went around her ribcage. A kiss was pressed to the back of her head.

  “What happens now?” she asked the older man.

  “That is a decision you both make together.” He turned as if to leave, but Will stopped him.

  “Wait. You said you’d been waiting. Why didn’t you save him yourself when he was a prisoner?”

  “We had no idea where he was until you intervened.”

  “Then why didn’t you make yourselves known once you found him?” Righteous anger heated her face. “How long have you floating around out there in space? How long have you been watching?”

  “It is…our way. We are responsible for training our own offspring. To bring them to that moment when they must decide whether to follow the path of good or evil. When Uli’s father was killed, Uli was left with making that decision without any interference from one of us.” The man made a motion to the others behind him. The ones still enveloped in the purest of white light. “Trust us, Will. We were careful to make sure Uli was not harmed or injured to the point of death. But at the same time, we could not reveal ourselves until he had made his own decision.”

  “Oh, so that’s why it was all right for me to step in and become his guardian angel?” She made sure her comment was heavy with sarcasm. If the Resplendent recognized it, he didn’t react.

  “Yes.”

  “What if he had become evil? What if he had chosen the other path?”

  A sadness dropped over the man’s face like a transparent veil. “You already know the answer.” His eyes went to the weapon belted to her leg. “We would have tried to stop him, if your attempt failed.”

  “You would have tried? You mean there are evil Resplendents out there?”

  “Regretfully, yes. Be assured, though. We are always vigilant in our search for them.”

  She had to ask the question that had been gnawing at her ever since Vall’s true nature was revealed to her. “Why do you remain in hiding? Why do you want people to think you’re nothing more than a myth? Why not let others know you’re real? That you’re not fictitious?”

  “Again, you already know that answer.” He opened his arms to mutely encompass the whole room, the Ben Objure, themselves, and the ship. “With our powers, do you think all species would leave us alone? That no one would try to go to war with us? That no one would try to dominate us? Look at you. Your kind are known on hundreds, thousands of planets, yet there are still those who would continue to challenge you.”

  The man had a point. No matter how strong or invincible a species was, there would always be another to test that strength.

  Will acquiesced. “What will you do now?”

  “We will resume our destined mission. To search for those of us who were lost, or who have turned toward their anger and hate.” For the first time, the man addressed Vall. “Young Uli, your powers will continue to grow. Before too long, you will be able to save lives, the way we did for your Will. But you must never forget you cannot undo what you have done. For her sake and yours, you must remain pure.”

  “With my Will, that will not be a problem.” Will heard Vall’s promise. She glanced over her shoulder at him. Or should I start calling him Uli?

  The Resplendent gave her and Vall a final smile and retreated, disappearing into the white mist of light. Within seconds, the all-encompassing glow faded. At the same time, the Ben Objure started to awaken from their slumber.

  Will removed her hand from the stasis tube and placed it instead on the arm resting beneath her breasts. Vall reached down to take her hand, then held it out in front of them.

  “Close your eyes.”

  She did. In her mind, she watched as the ship around them vanished, leaving them suspended in space above the pale green planet rotating hundreds of kilometers below. The six Nion warships were already in semi-circular formation, parked just above the exosphere where they sparkled like exquisite jewels in a crown in the rays of the Ben Fil Dera’s blue-white sun.

  Surrounding the warships, the Ben Objure hovered like an angry horde, almost swallowing the Nion with sheer numbers. The stark black alien vessels were also larger, massively so, but Will knew size was irrelevant in space.

  Vall bent his face until his breath tickled her ear. “Shall I make them go away?”

  Lifting her lips until they almost brushed his, Will replied, “Send the Nion back to Regency Base. Leave the Ben Objure to ponder what happened.”

  “What if they come for me again?”

 
; “I really don’t think that will happen,” she promised.

  Smiling, he aimed down her arm. Peeling open her fingers, he placed his own palm behind hers, matching fingertips to fingertips.

  “With me. Watch.”

  Will watched.

  One by one, the Nion warships quickly winked out of sight. Will gasped, then laughed. A small thread of worry started to wrap itself around her heart with the realization that, regardless of what she was witnessing, Vall’s powers were nowhere near what the mature male Resplendent had shown. She would have an enormous responsibility in guiding Vall…Uli…in the years to come.

  Once the last Nion vessel vanished, Vall closed her hand. “Where do we go now?”

  “Regency Base, please.”

  He chuckled as Ben Fil Dera disappeared from beneath their feet.

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Diversion

  She should have known Vall would bring her back to the dingy underground storage bay, deep within the bowels of Surro Two. This time, though, it didn’t matter when he pulled off his soiled robe and laid it on the rock floor. As he stretched out on his side, beckoning to her, Will slipped out of her uniform and joined him.

  “This is not where I asked to be taken.” She gave him a teasing smile as she settled along his long, lanky form. Running a hand over his skin, she marveled at the musculature beneath the surface. Give him a few more months on a steady diet, and he would soon show the hard, cut male body of his species. Her fingertips made him shiver.

  “You said Regency Base. You are here.”

  “I meant the space station.”

  “Then, next time, be more precise.”

  They were bantering back and forth. It was the first real honest conversation between them, and it felt natural. Will placed a kiss near a heart-shaped nipple, then lightly licked the hard little bud.

  “Vall…or do you want me to call you Uli?”

  “Whatever pleases you.”

  Will snorted. “Does this please you?” Rising over him, she ran the tip of her tongue down his belly, down to the nearly pale and nearly invisible mat circling the base of his manhood. For the first time, she realized he had no umbilical remnant above his abdomen.

  Vall noticed her surprised expression and laughed, and rolled over to face her. Lifting her chin, he guided her lips to his and softly kissed her once, twice, before throwing his arm around her waist and rolling onto his back, lifting her onto his belly. Will obliged by wriggling down his body until her cleft was firmly atop his hardening length. Moving her hips, she let her cream cover him, until they both were slick. The friction hardened her clit and filled her with a growing need.

  “Mmm.” She closed her eyes and let herself enjoy the slow build of excitement building below her abdomen. As Vall placed his hands over her breasts and gently squeezed them, she gasped. “Oh, that feels wonderful.”

  “This feels better,” he whispered. Before she could question him, he grabbed her around the ribs and lifted her slightly. Will felt the head of his erection ease inside her, sliding over nerve endings that sent a rush through her body. She gave a low moan and let her body go slack. If he wanted to be in charge, she wasn’t going to argue. It was time he dominated her, instead of the other way around.

  She clamped her knees against his thighs as he seesawed her up and down. At first, the movements were gentle, giving her time to accept his thickness. Looking down at Vall’s face, Will could see his eyes were closed. His concentration was focused on their lovemaking. Smiling, she squeeze her inner muscles. His reaction was instantaneous.

  His movements were so quick, she had no idea he had placed her on her back, and was now pushing himself deep within her with long, hard strokes. Will lifted her hips, and was rewarded with Vall doubling his efforts. Grabbing her legs, he placed them atop his shoulders and sat back on his heels. Will had nothing to hold on to and no way to control him, other than to let him pound inside her, shoving his full length into her with deeper and increasingly faster lunges.

  A whirlwind of passion began to swirl around them, sending minute bits of rock and sand through the air. As their mutual frenzy increased, the wind swirled faster, until the bits lashed against their skin. But instead of causing pain, the tiny biting stings made her blood flow hotter. Will cried out, begging him to bring her. Pleading with him to give her release.

  She heard him grunt, letting her know he was climaxing. A tiny cry of regret rose to her throat when his hand dipped between them, and he manipulated her clit. The added pressure was like adding fuel to the fire, and Will threw back her head as her fingers dug into the rock floor.

  Her orgasm was explosive, tearing her flesh and making her scream her pleasure. But Vall wasn’t finished with her. As he continued to press into her with sporadic jerks, he rolled her clit with his thumb as his fingers joined his softening erection in plunging within her convulsing channel.

  He continued to take her, wringing from her every last ounce of ecstasy. When it was finally over, and their bodies were fully satiated, he laid down beside her and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

  The whirlwind abated. The debris settled back down. The storage bay grew peacefully silent. Will was on the verge of sleep when he stirred.

  “I want to see the universe.”

  “Sounds like a mission. I don’t blame you, after being cooped up for so long.”

  “I have a lot to see, and you will be by my side.”

  “I will.”

  He raised up on one elbow to gaze down at her. “But I thought—”

  Will placed a finger on his lips. “I’ve accepted the fact that I no longer can be a warship captain. My future is with you.” She grinned. “Actually, it won’t be that much different from what I’ve been doing.”

  He smiled back, clearly relieved. “Why not?”

  “Defending the galaxies. Keeping you from turning evil. Same job description, just a different title.”

  He kissed her lightly, then snuggled beside her again. But all vestiges of sleep had abandoned her. After another minute, she turned her face toward him.

  “Uli?”

  “What?”

  “Those women. The ones the Ben Objure brought to you. They taught you how to make love, didn’t they?”

  He remained still, unmoving and not answering her for a minute. “They were meant to bond with me,” he admitted in a low voice. “The Ben Objure wanted me to remain subservient to them by having me bond with one of the women. That way they could threaten her if I refused to obey their commands.”

  “But you didn’t bond with them. You bonded with me. How? I mean, when did you know we were meant to be paired? When you first took me?”

  His chuckle was a puff of air on her collarbone. “No. I knew when you first entered my cell, and removed your helmet.” His open hand slid over her stomach, warming her skin. “Did the grit hurt you?

  “It stung, but I’m all right.”

  The hand continued to move over her, and Will realized he was checking her out, making sure she wasn’t injured in spite of her assurance. Fingers played briefly with her nipples, making her giggle. A thumb traced her lower lip. When he reached her opposite temple, he paused as he brushed his fingertips over her ear.

  “How long will you have to wait for your hair to grow out?”

  “I don’t know. Weeks, I suppose. I’ll be glad when it does.”

  She felt his hand slide over her scalp. It was warm where his palm and fingers were spread. And it tickled. Unconsciously, she reached up to scratch one particularly irritating section when her finger encountered a thatch of silky strands. Surprised, she pulled it over to where she could see the pale blonde curl.

  Sitting up, she patted her head with both hands, but it was not her imagination. She had hair again. Will glanced down at her crotch. Well, at least she had it on her head. She glanced over to see Vall trying to hide a mischievous smile.

  “Thank you.”

  “Would you like it longer?”r />
  “No. This is the length I prefer.”

  He nodded. “I remembered that’s how it looked when I first saw you.”

  “Will it stay this way, or will it continue to grow?”

  “I only gave it a boost.”

  “I don’t suppose you could give my armor a little boost, too.”

  Vall appeared to be puzzled, until he understood what she meant. “I think I can do that.”

  “Good. Better to be prepared in case something happens, and we become separated during our tour of eternity,” she teased.

  Smiling back, Vall started to reach for her, when she stopped his hand. “But first, I have some unfinished business to tend to.” Slipping away from his embrace, she grabbed her discarded uniform and started to dress.

  Vall sat up. “Your ship?” he guessed.

  “Yes. My ship. I can’t leave without saying good-bye. When you’re ready, please take me where the others are gathered.”

  “Can we come back here later?”

  “Duty first, my love.”

  Nodding, Vall got to his feet and picked up the ragged and soiled robe. Will pointed to the garment. “Oh, if you have the power, can you clean that? Or replace it?”

  He gave it a vigorous shake, then slipped it over his head. The robe looked as pristine as it did the first time he put it on.

  “Better?” he asked, taking her hand.

  Before she could respond, they were standing in the middle of Commander Oglet’s command center, surrounded by nearly two dozen officials, including the captains of the six Nion warships Vall had sent away from the Ben Fil Dera system.

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Future

  “Will!”

  It was Plymon who broke their shocked surprise. He hurried over to her, hands reaching for her, when he was stopped by Vall’s disapproving scowl. The Sub-captain glanced from one to the other, when he suddenly started.

  “Your hair! How?”

  Will glanced about the vast room. “I came to say good-bye. And to relinquish my captaincy.”