by Lucy Snow
“And now? He’s not going to just forget about this. You could have taken him prisoner or something”
I shook my head. “No, he will not, but neither will we. His forces would have taken key systems from us the moment they found out about his capture or death. This is the best way to ensure peace for a little longer.”
“But war is coming.”
I nodded. “War is coming.” I looked out the window at the planet Garamond, in the distance. “But I have a feeling what we learn down there will help in the battles to come.”
“Find a way to have the ghost wolves join the Commonwealth, maybe?” Melissa said, sarcastically.
“That would certainly help us. They are fearsome warriors.”
Melissa jumped up and threw her arms around my neck. “You’re a fearsome warrior too, Ark.”
“Yes,” I said. “I am.”
“And so modest too!”
“The Kreossians are known for it around the galaxy.”
“Modesty?”
“Yes.”
Melissa giggled and kissed me, and I pulled her in close, smelling her now-familiar scent. I wanted to smell her smell for the rest of my life, and keep her this close to me.
“Commander Ark,” the voice came back over the comms, and Melissa turned to look at me, not able to understand anything beyond ‘Ark.’ “Khad’s ship has disengaged and left proximal orbit.”
“Good,” I replied. “Give us permission to dock. We are coming aboard.”
I tapped on the wall panel and told the ship to commence docking procedures with the flagship, and I felt the shuttle slide into motion beneath me.
3 minutes later we had docked, and after letting Melissa slide back down to the floor, we walked together through the airlock.
A handful of Kreossian soldiers stood at attention on the other side, parting ways as they recognized me. I saluted, and took Melissa’s hand as we strode past the soldiers and to next room. Melissa’s eyes widened as she took in the functional interior of the flagship - it was not known for being beautiful.
The ranking officer, Commander Lynca, left on board the ship stood waiting. “Commander Ark,” she said, looking me up and down, clearly pleased that I was alright. “It is good to see you again. Where is Admiral Kaalax? Is he on the planet?”
I frowned. “Admiral Kaalax did not survive much beyond the destruction of the conference station. His injuries were severe, and crashing on the planet did not help. He succumbed soon after.”
Lynca looked stricken. “A great loss,” she said, recovering quickly. “He will be missed around the empire.” She stood up straighter. “What happened to the station? Mechanical failure?”
I shook my head. “Sabotage.”
Lynca drew in a sharp breath. “The humans?” She looked like she was ready to order the destruction of Earth right then and there. I remembered what that felt like.
“No, not the humans. The Mazon.”
Lynca’s eyes widened. “But, the truce! You are sure?”
“Khad himself confirmed it. The shuttle’s internal records will verify.”
Lynca pointed at someone and they snapped to attention before walking toward the shuttle to begin retrieving and verifying the shuttle’s internal logs. Lynca had always been exceptionally fastidious and thorough in her work.
“What are your orders?”
“First, alert the High Command that Admiral Kaalax is gone. Notify them that he is buried below, and his last wishes were that he not be moved elsewhere.”
“But…the Hall of Legends!”
“It was the Admiral’s will, Commander.”
Lynca gulped, then nodded. “Anything else?”
“Get word to Earth. Explain to them what happened and give our condolences for the loss of their Ambassador Fuller. Tell them Melissa Crane is safe and will be returned to them.” I paused for a moment. “And tell them their application to join the Commonwealth can proceed if they decide they are ready.”
Lynca nodded again. “Then, get word to the High Command that we must prepare for war with the Mazon.”
Lynca stiffened again. “They will not be happy to hear that.”
“I know. Tell them I am on my way to the home world to explain what has happened here.”
“Is there anything else?”
“Yes. We are to travel back to the home world as soon as possible, but leave the rest of the fleet here, around the planet. No one is to land there, not us, not anyone else. Is that understood?”
“We are quarantining the planet?”
“Yes, for the time being.” I leaned in closer. “There is more to that world than meets the eye, and I intend to discover its secrets.”
“Understood, sir.” Lynca saluted, then looked at Melissa next to me as if noticing her for the first time. “What shall I do about her?”
“This is my mate.” Lynca blanched. “She is coming with me, to my quarters.”
“Yes, sir!” Commander Lynca saluted again for good measure, then rushed off to see to my orders.
I looked at Melissa and smiled.
Kreossian efficiency at its best.
CHAPTER 15 - MELISSA
It was all a whirlwind of new sights, new sounds, and new smells. A completely new sensory experience. Sure, I had basically lived on the shuttle for the last few days, but being on the flagship, which I soon found out was named the Draxxes, was like the shuttle turned up to 11 all over.
I didn’t understand what anyone was saying, but Ark stayed holding my hand throughout the entire thing, and I never thought for a moment that anything was amiss. I stayed quiet, awed by the sights and sounds, but I also had realized that whatever Ark was to me, he was also a commander in this fleet, and as personal aide to the late, great, Admiral Kaalax, Ark had a lot of responsibilities around here, and neither of them had been among the fleet for the last week.
So yeah, he had a lot going on at the moment.
When it all cleared up and he was done talking to beautiful lady Kreossian in the sharp uniform, Ark looked at me. “Are you alright?”
“Yes, Ark, I’m fine, feeling much better already.” I looked around and raised my free hand. “This is all a lot to take in, I don’t even know where to start.”
“It will take some time to get used to. Come this way.” Ark walked me toward what looked like an elevator. We took it down a couple floors before we got off.
This part of the ship was different. I would never accuse anything Kreossian of being ‘homey,’ but if I had to, this was the closest thing to it. The colors were more muted and warmer than the drab silver and grey I had seen on the main deck, and I saw other Kreossians walking by wearing less formal outfits.
Each of them gave me a quick look when they passed by, then snapped to attention as they noticed Ark next to me. It got funnier and funnier each time, their looks of curiosity followed by stone-stares straight forward, onward about their business.
I squeezed Ark’s hand. “Everyone around here is intimidated by you.”
“They should be,” Ark agreed. “I am in charge of keeping them alive.”
“That’s a lot of responsibility.”
“It is one I accept gladly.”
Ark glided to a stop in front of a now-familiar door setup. “These are my quarters,” he said, thumbing the pad. The door recognized him and opened. “They are a little…”
I looked inside as the lights came up slowly. “Oh, Ark…”
“- Bare,” he finished.
I stepped inside, worried for a second that I might run into something important or knock something over, but there was no reason to be scared - the quarters themselves were almost entirely empty.
“This is your…room?”
Ark stood up straighter than normal. “I have many responsibilities, Melissa,” he started, clearly sounding uncomfortable. “I do not have much time to spend in my quarters. Mostly, I come here to sleep.”
“On what?” I added, my voice rising, unable to contain
the sarcasm.
Ark pointed. “Over there, on the bed.”
“You call that a bed? It’s a metal slab!”
Ark nodded. “I have slept very well for many years on it.”
“No blankets, no pillows, nothing else? Just right on the metal?”
“It is as close to combat situations as I could make them.”
“Well, if I’m going to stay here, that’s gonna have to change, alright? Our quarters don’t NEED to be ready for combat at all hours of the day!” I turned around, walking toward him and swaying my hips provocatively. I liked seeing his eyes glaze over as he followed me. “Unless that’s what you’ll call it when we’re making love…”
“It is only for a short time, until I can take you back to Earth…”
“And where will you go?”
“To defeat the Mazon. Just because war did not begin today does not mean it is not looming for my people and the rest of the Commonwealth.”
My hackles rose. “Wait a second,” I said, holding up my hand. “I get that you’re going into combat and all, because after what I saw back on the shuttle, that guy Khad and his Mazon friends need a bit of a talking to, I’ll be damned if I’m going to let you take me back to Earth while you go off fighting.”
“I will not be fighting right away, Melissa. First I must come back here.”
“Here? Why here?”
“Admiral Kaalax and Makora both had the same intuition. Garamond is an important strategic resource in the wars to come, and for the Commonwealth in general, but we do not know the solutions to its mysteries yet. Once I get you back to Earth, I will return here and oversee the research into the planet as long as I can.”
I put my foot down, and pressed my hand up against Ark’s huge chest. “Listen, Ark, you keep talking like me going back to Earth is a done deal. Let me make it clear to you, so there’s no confusion. If you’re going to fight the Mazon, then I’m staying right in these quarters. If you’re going back to Garamond to oversee research, when I’m not helping you out, I’m staying right in these quarters.” I stepped forward and kissed him. “And if you’re going to Earth for whatever reason, I’ll be staying with you. Do we understand each other?”
“Sending you to Earth is the only way I can guarantee your safety, Melissa. That is my primary goal.”
“There’s where you’re wrong, big guy. Just a little while ago I heard you say that you would never let anything bad happen to me, right?” I poked him again. “Well, the only way that’s gonna happen is if we stay close to each other. We can have each other’s back, you know?”
Ark paused for a long moment, then sighed. “You are very difficult for a mate, Melissa.”
“I know. You wouldn’t have it any other way, though.”
Ark made a big show of thinking about that for long enough that I punched him again, but finally, he said, “No, you are perfect the way you are.”
“Likewise, Ark. I love you, and I will never leave your side.”
Ark scooped me up into his giant arms and I felt the tension just melt away from me. “And I will keep you close to me for the rest of my life.”
“Perfect.”
And then we kissed, long and hard. I don’t even remember how long it lasted, but when it ended and I pulled away, I couldn’t help myself. “Now,” I started, “who do I see about getting some furniture in here? I am not having sex on that slab.”
Ark looked at me, and I could see the mask of desire and lust come over him all at once. After the last few days, on the trail down on Garamond, after we that first time we had had sex, I knew that look very well, and as soon as I saw it on Ark, the lust and desire began to rise in me, too.
Ark grabbed me around the waist, roughly, and I drew in a breath. “Now?” I whispered, almost starting to pant. It was insane just how much Ark could turn me on with just a look.
Instead of answering, Ark just pulled me into him, kissing me hard, his tongue making its way into my mouth. I clung to him, hating that our survival suits were in the way. I glanced at the door to make sure it was shut then I unclasped Ark’s suit and mine at the same time.
As the tops of the suits fell away, Ark pulled me down till I was standing on the floor again and turned me around, pushing me further into the room.
Toward the slab. “I said,” I whispered, “no sex on the slab.”
“Agreed,” Ark whispered back, and then I knew what his plan was, and I was all for it.
As we made our way across the room I felt Ark pulling my suit off me, and my bra and panties afterward. Behind me I heard Ark’s suit coming off as well, and the soft rustle of the material as it hit the floor.
When we reached the slab and the giant window beyond it, open into free space, I put my hands down on the cold stone-like material and braced myself, holding in my breath until I couldn’t anymore. Just as I exhaled sharply, Ark’s hands gripped my waist and I felt his cock at my pussy. I was soaking wet and he pushed himself right in. After a week of having sex with him at least twice a day, he entered me more easily and with less pain, but with just as much pleasure as the first time.
We found our increasingly-familiar rhythm quickly and I eventually opened my eyes, gasping when I looked out the window while feeling Ark fuck me, his thick fingers holding me and moving me just how he liked it. All about us was empty space, and unlimited possibilities.
And Ark and I had found each other, admits all this empty space, and now, given all that we had been through in such a short amount of time, nothing could keep us apart.
I felt my orgasm approach, and I knew by now that Ark could anticipate it too. I came a few seconds later, crying out in passion and wishing there was a pillow nearby to stifle the sound, but as I looked backward, Ark just smiled, and I wondered what he was thinking. Just then, he bellowed out, and came hard, filling me up with himself.
A little while later as Ark lay on the slab and I relaxed in his arms, I couldn’t keep from asking. “What were you thinking when I made that noise when I came? You were smiling,” I said, tracing the glowing lines along his skin. I would never get tired of doing that.
Ark looked at me. “I was thinking that I was looking forward to keeping my neighbors awake for a change.”
I laughed and sank into his arms even further. “You know, Ark,” I said, “maybe the slab isn’t so bad.” Ark laughed and kissed me on the forehead.
“But I still want a pillow.”
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