by Lisa Lace
"Come here," he said huskily, motioning with his hand.
"Why?" she said. "Do you need help with something?"
"You could say that."
Jenn walked toward him cautiously with suspicion in her eyes.
"Closer." She grasped his hand, intending to lift him out of his seat, but instead he pulled on her arm and swung her body, making her fall on his chest.
"Isn't that better?" he purred. He held her tightly as she squirmed.
"Let me go!"
He bent his head down to her neck and kissed it, then sucked on her skin, making sure to mark her.
"I've been thinking. Do I care about the state of the Earth treaty? I can claim you as my battle prize."
"No, you can't."
"Sure, if you beat me in the marriage ceremony."
Jenn tried to push away, but Kai's grip was too strong.
"Now hold on a second, mister," she sputtered.
"To be precise, it's 'my lord'."
"You're not my lord or anything like it," snapped Jenn.
"You wouldn't have to call me ‘my lord,' if we got married. Not in private. In public, you would need to meet certain expectations. But I would call you 'my lady'. It all balances out. I think it sounds nice. Lady Imwaden. How does that sound to you?"
"I don't know," she stammered. "On Earth, we don't have to take our husband's name."
Kai licked the base of her throat, then nuzzled her chin. It tickled. He hadn't shaved yet and had a day's growth of beard.
"We can discuss everything later after the ceremonial battle. Assuming I defeat you, we can negotiate everything in the marriage contract." He pulled her into his lap and positioned her arms around his neck. He loved the feeling of her breasts pressing into his chest.
"Marriage contract?"
"Sure. Don't you have them on Earth? It clarifies what I will do for you, and what you will do for me."
Kai resumed his explorations of her neck, discovering that she squirmed whenever he sucked lightly on her back, below her hairline. It felt like she was melting into him.
"Did you know you are delicious? Every part of you is sweet."
Kai lifted her shirt to reveal the milky globes of her breasts. He circled his thumbs around each nipple, making them peak into hardness. He bent his head and sucked one in his mouth, gently biting. Jenn gasped while her breathing sped up.
He let his tongue circle the nub, feeling his cock starting to swell beneath her. The sensation of her lovely ass pressing on him was too much for him. He needed to be inside her. Picking at the waistband of her pants, he slid his hand toward her sex. Jenn's wet heat greeted his fingers immediately. He stroked the soft flesh tenderly, almost eagerly, searching for a passionate response. More of her juices spilled onto his hand, and he could only imagine how hot and wet her pussy would feel around his cock.
He wasn't going to play around any longer. It was time to take her.
"I want you," he whispered into her ear. Kai gently licked behind it, drawing mewling noises from her lips as he stroked her with his fingers.
"Then take me," Jenn murmured. She pulled away and stood up, stretching her arms. Her top came off first, followed by her pants. Kai observed every movement, thinking she was the most attractive creature he had ever seen.
Jenn pulled at the tie string of his medical bay pants and pulled them off, lifting his hips from the chair. She stared at his cock. It was hard, throbbing slightly, and leaking pre-cum from the tip.
"I don't know," she said. "I've never..." Jenn's voice trailed off as her eyes went wide. She couldn't believe what she saw.
"Come here, Jenn," Kai said in a husky voice. He positioned her body so his cock rested between her legs. Her liquid heat spread between them, making his cock slick as she ground against him.
"That's enough for now," he said. "That's amazing. I love feeling you against me. The sensation of silken folds over his hot cock made him want to thrust into her, but he felt twinges of pain in his hip, which was still healing. Their position wasn't going to work if Kai wanted to move energetically.
Jenn arched her back, and he had an idea. He pushed the chair forward to rest her ass on the desk. Jenn looked down as Kai pulled her legs to the armrest. Grasping his cock, he pressed around her sex, teasing her with it.
She whimpered.
Kai thrust forward, the triangular head of his cock piercing her entrance and reaching to her core. He felt more hot wetness surge over his body.
"See," he said in a low voice. "We can do this."
He got to his feet, resting his full weight on his arms. Jenn grasped his cock between her hands, holding him at her entrance.
"Take what you want, sindare," he said. "It's all for you."
She pulled him in. He couldn't help thrusting deeply into her, filling her to the hilt. She moved slowly but murmured words of encouragement. "Yes," she said. "That's good, right there. I need it."
There was more to his little sindare than he would have thought. When their pubic bones touched, she put one leg on his good hip and started rocking, sending waves of pleasure through him. He couldn't stop now. It felt too good.
Jenn gasped. Her sex pulsed around him as she bucked her hips. "Kai!" she screamed.
In the midst of her pleasure, Kai couldn't hold back. White heat seared through his body, and he came deep inside her.
"Sindare!" he called, shuddering with the intensity of his release as he burst apart.
Chapter Thirty
The meetings with the United Earth Alliance were not going as planned.
Jenn was frustrated. She hadn't seen Kai for days. She was tired of looking at the group of UEA representatives across the table, and she thought they didn't want to see her either.
Ever since the arrival of the combined Anquesh and Earth fleet, neither she nor Kai had been able to convince the UEA that a threat loomed on the horizon. The Similcue were probably on their way to Earth.
She had no idea how Kai was doing, and she missed him. Maybe absence did make the heart grow fonder. She had realized something.
Jenn was in love with the alien warrior. She hadn't been able to tell him about her epiphany, and something inside her would ache until she confessed.
The United Earth Alliance looked at her like she had done something wrong.
"It's not that complicated, and I don't think saying the same thing for the millionth time will convince you. The Similcue have been playing us for fools. They're done toying with Earth. They're going to conquer it. Our technological advancements make us attractive as a slave state."
"What we don't understand, Ms. Carden, is why you are determined to support an alien race which has been humanity's bitter enemy for years."
"You sent me out there! You told me I would be court-martialed and thrown into prison if I didn't fulfill the provisions of the Anquesh treaty."
"We didn't intend for you to sleep with the enemy. You were supposed to play along."
"No one said anything like that to me. Are you finally going to tell me where Kai is?"
"Who?"
"Commander Imwaden!"
"Oh, the alien. I didn't realize you were on a first-name basis with him. Don't worry. We have him secured."
"What does that mean? Is he behind bars?"
"Of course. He is a war criminal."
"Kai's the farthest thing from a war criminal. He has more honor than anyone sitting at this table!"
"Ms. Carden, I'll give you a warning. You need to consider your tone of voice and your audience."
There was a commotion at the door. "Let me in. I'm her lawyer." A tall man with graying hair appeared, dressed in an expensive-looking suit. He pushed his way past the military guard. Jenn thought he looked familiar.
"This is a military proceeding," said one of the officers.
"Military or civil, my client has the right to representation. I'm sorry for being late, Jenn." He sat down in the seat next to her. His hand moved quickly under the desk, so fast she ba
rely noticed it.
"Who are you?"
The man tossed a business card across the table. "Adam Walters, of Kellem, Brace and Walters. My firm is representing Miss Carden. We have a communication protocol. When she failed to call us, we knew we had to do some investigating. You're not playing fair, gentlemen. I almost had to take legal action. But since I found her in your military installation, we can dispense with the pleasantries. Is my client charged with a crime, or is she free to go?"
"Not yet."
"Great. Let's go, Jenn. We're leaving." He stood and put his arm under Jenn, forcefully insisting that she get up as well.
"Wait a minute. You can't do that!"
Adam smiled. "Watch me." He pulled Jenn from the table and pressed his hands together.
The table exploded.
"Time to run." Adam pushed the guard out of the way as he and Jenn ran out of the door into the hallway.
"Who are you?" she gasped.
"We met once before. You know me as Tellen. A transport ship is waiting for us. We spotted the Similcue near the planet you call Pluto. They can be here in a single jump."
"What about Kai?"
"I've sent someone to retrieve him."
Jenn ran behind Tellen. No alarms rang in the corridors. In fact, there was no noise anywhere. At the entrance, Jenn found more unconscious soldiers. As she moved to look at them, she heard footsteps behind her. She looked back, a ball of fear enveloping her gut.
Two tall dark-haired men ran out of the darkened hallway. One had a slight limp. It was Kai.
When he saw Jenn, he became energized and ran faster. "Sindare!" He swept Jenn into his arms when he reached her.
"Let's go, Commander," said Tellen. "Time is against us. We should board the transport. Be forewarned, the cloaking system is engaged."
The group ran across a parking lot as the hot sun beat down on them. As they were about to enter the transport's gaping black maw, rifle shots whizzed over their heads. The bullets bounced off the invisible spaceship.
"Halt!" an Earth soldier called.
Jenn raced into the dark hole. Once her eyes had adjusted to the darkness, she realized they were inside an Anquesh transport. Tellen pushed a button to close the hatch.
"Take off!"
The transport lurched violently, and Jenn fell against a bulkhead as the ship rose into the air. Kai reached out to steady her, and she fell into his arms. It felt good to be surrounded by Kai again.
She opened her mouth to confess her feelings. She didn't know if she would get another chance. Tellen spoke before she could say anything.
"I have made contact with Captain Oakland. He has his ships and several other battle groups ready to break Earth ranks and follow us. He knows what the Similcue can do. I believe the direct quote is, 'If the idiots at UEA can't see the forest for the trees, maybe it's time to chop down the forest.'"
"Humans need to learn to say what they mean," Kai said, looking directly at Jenn.
"It's a little beyond us, I think," she replied with a smile.
"Oakland told me there would be consequences for Jenn's participation in the treaty."
"What consequences? I just did what they told me to do!"
"According to Oakland, they were going to put you in prison on a manufactured charge. You were an uncomfortable and inconvenient reminder of their behavior."
The questions in the conference room made sense now. They were letting her speak as much as she wanted, giving her enough rope to let her say anything they could interpret as treason.
"I guess I can't go home again. We're going to get married. I don't have a choice." Jenn sighed.
"I thought we already agreed there was going to be a wedding, as long as I can beat you in the arena."
"It wasn't an agreement. More like a temporary acquiescence in exchange for certain favors."
"Are you saying I haven't won you yet?" Kai had a sly smile on his face.
"Excuse me, but we're still running a military operation here," Tellen interjected. "We will dock with the Ruvien soon, and we need to have the battle plan against the Similcue worked out. When we arrive on the Ruvien, it's time to have a conference with our allies."
The ship lurched and all forward motion stopped. "We're here already." A hatch opened automatically. "I will take Jenn to your quarters."
"No, Tellen. She's going to stay with me."
Tellen nodded, and they swiftly navigated through the ship's corridors until they reached the bridge of the Ruvien.
When Kai entered, the officers snapped to attention. Kai nodded his head. "At ease. Sevit, what's the situation?"
"We have seven ships that are battle-ready. Captain Oakland and three other Earth captains are ready to speak to you over the communications systems." Sevit passed over a hand-held computer. "These are our battle plans."
Kai took the computer and started rifling his fingers through pages of documents. "Can we put it on the battle board? What do the simulations say?"
"Commander, if the Similcue don't bring any extra ships, I think we have a chance."
Kai lifted his eyebrow. "One chance, Lieutenant?"
"I'm being conservative in my estimates. We might have two chances."
"How about the choke point you identified?"
"Their fourth planet, Mars, doesn't have a magnetic field and is the perfect place for them to conceal themselves.
"Is there any other place they can jump?"
"Yes, that's the second chance. The second planet doesn't have a magnetic field, but it is relatively close to the sun. Solar flares are active."
"Let's head for Mars. Maybe we'll get lucky."
Chapter Thirty-One
Kai organized a defense of the solar system with Oakland and the other United Earth Alliance captains. Five ships were left between the moon and Earth to provide a failsafe. His navigator gave coordinates for both Mars and Venus to every ship.
"Hold on, Jenn," said Kai. "Interplanetary jumps can be a little rough."
He kept his arm protectively around her shoulders when he gave the order. Twenty-five battle cruisers moved together, a mixture of Anquera and Earth ships. Jenn felt her stomach lurch and in an instant, Earth vanished from the viewscreen. Nothing was visible for several seconds. The bridge crew waited, holding their breaths. Without warning, the electronics came back online, and the screen displayed an image of the red planet spinning underneath them.
"Implement radio silence and turn off all electronic systems," ordered Kai. "Let's go quiet."
Lights dimmed in the bridge, and audio alerts were turned off. No one spoke.
Kai sat in the captain's chair and pulled Jenn into his lap. She blushed as she looked around the bridge, watching for signs of disapproval from his crew. It seemed like a terrible protocol breach. Thankfully, the soldiers kept their eyes on either their workstations or the display screens.
Kai brushed his lips against her face. "How are you feeling, sindare?" he whispered.
She leaned her head close to his ear. Her chance was now. "I love you, Kai Imwaden."
But Kai wasn't listening to her. The screen held his complete attention. Jenn looked up to see Similcue ships appearing above Mars.
"Activate the weapons, and commence firing!" Kai shouted.
Laser fire burned jagged streaks into the Similcue ships. They returned fire immediately. So many bright flashes filled the screen that Jenn had to turn her head away to protect her eyes. Kai walked to the battle board to observe the action. He shouted orders into a headset, moving ships into different positions.
"Sir!" someone shouted out. "The Similcue have breached our landing bay. The enemy has boarded the Ruvien!"
"Vent the bay into space."
"It's too late for that, sir. They are in our corridors already."
"Jenn, secure yourself in my office."
She looked around the bridge. The Anquesh soldiers were preparing for battle and distributing weapons to each other, checking them, and arming them to kil
l.
"Now would be a good time. You might not get another chance."
She didn't want leave, but she didn't want to distract him either. Jenn ran to the office with a heavy heart. She wasn't concerned for her safety, but for Kai's. He had been through too much, too fast. Kai had barely healed from his previous injuries and still walked with a limp. Did he have the strength to fight off another attack?
Jenn sat at the chair behind Kai's desk. It was a place of memories already. She chuckled thinking about the day she sat behind it half-nude. Remembering the day they made love made her yearn for Kai's touch.
She wondered if he would survive to touch her again.
Kai stood in the middle of the bridge. He had ordered the warriors to stay as close to the workstations as possible. The workstations would help conceal his team as the attackers entered the room. Kai's gun was drawn and pointing forward. He was ready to take the first shots on anyone he saw. Kai would draw fire while his men overcome the enemy.
That was the plan, at least.
"Sir, the Similcue fleet has withdrawn. We managed to disable half their ships."
"Excellent." Despite Kai's calm outward appearance, his heart blazed with anger. The cowards had sent a suicide force to engage his team and wreak havoc while their fleet escaped. Kai would hunt down every single one of the bastards who threatened his sindare's home.
Some of the humans he had met were cowardly liars ready to hand over a defenseless female as a faux peace offering, but there were good people on Earth as well. They included Jenn's friend Nayla, Bretland, who gave his life honorably, or even Oakland, who defied a terrible command in order to save his people. They all lived a life of caring for others. There was honor in these humans, and they deserved help against the Similcue.
The bridge hatch blew open. Kai fired his gun wildly, pumping multiple laser blasts into the enemy bodies, taking down as many as he could. These Similcue, being suicide warriors, had no concern for their lives and were willing to die as long as they took down an Anquesh warrior with them. Kai dropped down to the deck to avoid the laser blasts but felt pain in different parts of his body. He had taken down a few Similcue, but they kept coming.