by Damon Alan
Gilbert's head snapped toward her. “What? What for?”
“Disobeying orders. We agreed not to use nuclear weapons.”
Gilbert paused for a moment, stunned. “I know what we agreed, but you weren't there. I had lives to protect.”
“You're right, I wasn't there. I did see the holovids, though.”
“That's not the same,” he said. “Is this formal? Do I need to stand at attention?”
He’s so stubborn. Like Vonn.
“Of course not. But I want you to understand a few things. The first is that I'm the captain of this ship and this fleet. We agreed not to use nuclear weapons, and you disobeyed that agreement.”
Gilbert looked at her like she just grew horns. “We agreed not to nuke the adepts. I nuked a few adepts. I did it so my marines could retreat from an enemy with a threat level beyond anything I was prepared for. I needed them to be as afraid of me as I was of them, so we could retreat. If they pursued us, we were dead.”
“After what happened to the pods, it didn’t occur to you that your tanks were threatened if you continued with the rescue?”
“Of course it did. But we had crewmen in the hands of our enemy. What would you have done?” he said with a tinge of anger.
“Don't you dare get angry with me,” she growled. “You made your choice, and outside this room I will back you up because nobody else is aware of our agreement. But I need to be able to trust you to do what you say.”
“Yes sir,” he said. “I accept full responsibility for my actions.” He snapped to attention.
That pissed her off.
“Do you?” she exploded. “How the hell do we negotiate a settlement with people who already think we're demons, and you prove it by unleashing hellfire on them?” She jabbed her finger into his muscled chest.
Gilbert fell back a step under her assault. “I—”
“You what? I just told you I saw the damned vids, you could have driven off, instead you paused for a retaliatory strike!”
“We were—”
“What Franklin? Under fire? You were not under fire any longer. You're my first officer. Your decisions have to be perfect.”
He lost some of his restraint. “Just a minute,” he barked, “or don't I get to defend myself?”
“Say it. I want to hear this defense,” Sarah growled.
“We lost Satier's tank to two adepts who were either under cover or invisible to our cameras. I have no idea where they came from, I didn't see a door open on the structure for them to come out of, they were just suddenly beside the house and blowing up Satier while freezing my tank. I had no idea, Captain, whether there were more of them or not, because I had just had half of my team killed by two of the bastards I hadn't seen just a moment before.”
Satier could have been him. I could be mourning his loss instead of whatever this is.
“So you just said, 'Screw it, I'll nuke 'em?'“ Sarah stood centimeters from Gilbert, facing him. He was ten or more centimeters taller than her, causing her to look up at him. He looked straight ahead at the wall behind her.
“No, at that point I was helpless and unable to respond in any way. You and I decided to save this new species of humans, we didn't decide to save any particular adepts. The natives can make more adepts, and they will, I assure you. It's the human way. We can't make more Lieutenant Satiers any time soon. My friend and fellow officer died down there.”
Sarah stared up at him, at his stone carved face. After saying his piece, he'd returned to standing at rigid attention. She stared at him for a minute, then closed the few centimeters remaining between them. Her face was just below his. She put her hand on his tee shirt, her fingers splayed out across his left pectoral muscle, over his heart.
“I almost lost you down there. I haven’t told you what that means to me yet.”
What does it mean?
Gilbert’s voice softened. “I may have an idea how you feel.”
Sarah turned her back to him. Emotions roiled within her, conflicting her and urging her onward.
Do not cry. Do not rage.
She drew in a breath and held it for a moment to calm herself. “I can’t lose any more of my people,” she said. “We will wait for Corriea’s research to produce results. There will be no more excursions to the surface unless we know it will result in Merik's death,”
“We can never know that,” Gilbert said. “These people are witches.”
Her anger flared back up. She spun back around toward him and spit out angry words. “Do you have to be difficult? You know what I mean. Unless we're going to kill her, we're not going back down.”
Okay. A little rage.
“Understood. You're the Captain, and I agree with you one hundred percent.”
“Don't be an ass. I won't have it.”
“I'm not trying to be an ass. I made a snap decision. That's not what you want. I won't do it again.”
Sarah sighed.
Stupid egotistical male.
“Think about it until you come see me after your next shift. Have it resolved in your mind, I don't want something silly like this affecting our relationship.”
Gilbert softened. “Neither do I. In fact, I'd like our command relationship to be like it always was, and our relationship in this room to be what it should be.”
Maybe he does get it.
Sarah’s mood lightened a little, and she forced a smile at him to let him know it was over. “That's what I want too.” Sarah grabbed the chocolate bar from her desk. “I'm out of here, I need to get to the bridge. This is mine.”
“Greedy.”
She stared at him a moment, then laughed as the rest of her anger faded away. He had a way of disarming her. “You have more. I'm going to pass out a bit to the bridge crew.”
“Okay this once, I guess. I'm not sharing with the ship. Sorry.
“Just something to put a smile on their faces.”
She turned to grab her command jacket from the coat rack. When she turned back Gilbert stood behind her, like a wall. “Comma—”
He bent down and kissed her, stunning her. Her eyes went wide for a second, then closed as she responded.
Oh shit.
She pushed herself away and looked into his eyes. “I… I have to get to the bridge. You think about if this is really what you want, because I am in no mood—”
“You put out an order allowing the crew to date. We’re crew.”
“It’s just… well, decorum,” she said. “I don’t want it to look like I put that out to serve my own interests.”
Although I probably did.
Gilbert didn’t address that possibility. “Why? We're colonists now, although we have a side military mission. You and I deserve love too.”
“It just feels funny, I guess. I feel like I'm breaking regs, but we set the rules now.”
“We do, don’t we?”
She grabbed the envelope from his hand, and tore it to pieces. “This is behind us.”
“I expect the nukes will come up again.”
Sarah narrowed her eyes, then squeezed his arm and bolted toward the door. “Seventh Fleet is its own boss now. You and I are not fighting. This discussion is over. I'll see you in sixteen.”
The door cycled closed behind her.
Chapter 34 - Crew Unity
33 ORS 15327
Sarah opened the door to her quarters, and stepped inside. She hung her jacket on the coat rack, then walked to her cooler. She opened it up and took out two packets of wine. She plopped down in her desk chair and opened the first one.
“Music, Lucy,” she said.
Soft classical played, and she closed her eyes.
The door chimed.
Damn.
Sarah opened her eyes to see how it was. Her wall display showed Commander Gilbert. Carrying something.
“Open,” Sarah said.
The hatch cycled open and let Gilbert in. He sat a white box on her desk, then opened it.
“What have you got in there?” Sarah ask
ed.
Gilbert put his finger to his lips and said, “Sshhhh.” He took two ready meals from the box and sat them on her desk. He laid out silverware, and a small vase. He pulled out plastic flowers and set them in it.
Sarah grinned like a fool. “What are you doing?”
“I am serving my Captain dinner. With flowers,” he said, bowing. “No extra charge.”
“I have to pay for this?”
Gilbert laughed, but didn’t answer.
Is this a date?
Sarah pushed her second pouch of wine over to him. He opened it and took a drink.
“Dinner is served,” he said. “I’d have candles, but…”
They ate together, talking about their shifts, plans for ship repairs, and other fleet business. Sarah had butterflies the entire meal. A mixture of fear, excitement, and expectation. The conversation danced around official matters, but she kept thinking of the kiss he’d given her before her shift.
She couldn’t believe how much she wanted another. And dreaded another.
After dinner Gilbert put the dirty dishes in the box and sat it by the door.
He walked over to her chair, on her side of the desk. He held out his hand, and pulled her to her feet when she put her hand in his. “You told me to think about it. I did.”
“I did too. I almost lost you down there, and I realized it would be…”
“I’m not going anywhere. There isn’t any Hive here, just some crazy woman with a god complex.”
A tear rolled down her face. She looked toward the floor in embarrassment.
What the? I haven’t cried in years… since confined to my quarters on the Chimera.
He reached out and slipped his fingers into her hair, grasping a handful and pulling just enough so her face rose to look at him.
“I told myself I’d never be close to anyone again,” she whispered. “You know…” More tears flowed, leaving trails of wetness on her cheeks.
His right hand wiped the tears from her face, tenderly, in stark contrast to the iron grip his left hand had in her hair. His hand stroked the side of her face. “I do know. But you were wrong. It’s too late to deny it.”
I’m scared.
Inside she made every argument she had against taking this step. Hoping they would all fail, and they did. “We can’t go back once we go here.”
He looked her in the eyes, she saw fierceness in his stare. “Things have changed. We’re more than a military fleet. We’re a people fighting for a chance to survive. We deserve to be happy.”
Surprising herself, she lunged toward him, reached up and grabbed him behind the neck. She pulled herself up to him as much as pulled him down to her, then kissed him. She felt tears smear on her face.
At first he seemed shocked and unresponsive to her loving assault, but then his arms reached out and enveloped her, lifting her from the floor. His lips welcomed hers, seeming relieved of any need for restraint.
Fueled by his acknowledgment of her, she locked her legs around his muscled waist. Sadness and fear melted away, turning to passion for the man holding her close. She pulled back from his mouth and kissed at his neck, eliciting a sensual grunt in response.
“I thought I lost you. Damn you,” she said between bites at his neck.
His eyes were shut, his breathing rapid. “You’ll never be so lucky.”
I couldn’t bear it.
“I thought about us my entire shift,” she said, laughing and crying, her voice broken by emotion.
He opened his eyes and looked at her with a salacious smirk. “Hmmmph. You think I didn’t?”
He kissed her passionately again, and as his left hand supported her by grasping her rear, he unbuttoned her uniform blouse with his right.
This is terrifying. Yet I can’t wait.
“I’ve wanted to see you as a man for a long time.” She twisted and turned to make his job easier.
“Contortionist,” he said. “Now I see why you win zero ball almost every game.”
She laughed. “Yeah, I do, don't I? I don't know, Franklin, I hope you're able to step up your game a bit here. You're not really any competition on the zero ball court.”
His eyes widened in mock astonishment. “You are asking for it.”
“Duh…”
He carried her to her bunk, plucking her from him and dropping her roughly on the mattress. “I'm about to show you my top game.”
He leaned over and pushed her back into comfortable pillows. He reached up and cupped her breast, and looked her in the eyes. “You wanted see me as a man. You're about to get a demonstration of what kind of man this marine can be.”
“I don't know, it takes a lot to impress...”
He thrust her harder into the pillows, then standing over her, he removed his clothes. He pulled his still wet tee shirt over his head, then threw it on the floor. He kept his eyes locked on hers as he disrobed beside her bunk.
She took in his rippling muscles, his unit tattoos, and his...
“Oh my,” she whispered.
“Flattery will get you everywhere.” Gilbert kicked his pants off.
She started to sit up, but again he pushed her prone.
“Was I unclear that I'm in charge now for the duration of this excursion?” he asked.
She started to laugh, but arousal within her body elicited a different response. “No... no sir,” she answered, her voice shaky.
There hasn't been anyone since Vonn... what if... I can't...
“That’s better. You can order me around outside that hatch all you want. Tonight, in here, I’m in charge. I’m going to love you. To put it politely.”
She felt tingling down her spine, in her thighs, between her legs. Very welcome tingling. She nodded her agreement.
Gilbert rose to his knees and removed the rest of her clothes. He towered over her, spinning black panties on his extended index finger. “Lace. Very nice. It's like you planned to get laid.”
“Shut up,” she said, her face turning red.
Did I? Of course I did.
“Shutting up,” he answered. He fell forward, catching himself with his arms, one on each side of her. He kissed her with a passion that seemed new to her, anything similar having been lost in memories too old to recall.
His breath was on her face, she stared into his eyes, and realized she had nothing witty left to say.
“That will do fine,” she responded.
His mouth found her breasts and a shuddering whimper escaped her lips.
Lucy, Sarah's quarters AI, broke in. “Captain Dayson, are you all right? I am detecting an elevated body temperature and sounds of distress. Humidity in your quarters is also rapidly rising.”
“Oh Harmeen's gods, not now Lucy,” Sarah yelled at the AI. “Silent mode for two hours. Dim the lights to twenty percent.”
Lucy entered silent mode. The lights dimmed and the lovers were immersed in romantic darkness.
“Two hours?” Gilbert asked. “It's been a long time, Sarah, that might be optimistic.”
“Shut up and take me to the stars,” she replied.
Sarah silenced Lucy again two hours later.
* * *
“I have duty in an hour,” Sarah said, grumbling.
“Regrets over losing sleep?” Gilbert asked.
“Not at all, just regrets I don't have more time.” Sarah stepped up to Gilbert and kissed him.
He swept her to him, and kissed her sensually.
“We don't have time, animal,” she giggled.
Oh hell, I just giggled...
“I follow you on duty... then there's eight hours that we could use for sleep or...” he suggested.
“Just make sure when you get to your quarters you get some sleep. I don't want our duty shifts affected.”
“That's the plan.”
Sarah left for her shift. If anyone noticed her improved morale, nobody said a word.
Chapter 35 – Prophecy
05 NODER 15327
“Captain, I hav
e new satellite data from Refuge, you should see this,” Seto reported.
“We don't have anyone down there. What are they doing now?”
“I'm putting the visual on screen. This is Kampana. Eislen's village.”
The satellite imagery flashed onto the main screen of the Stennis. At first Sarah didn't see anything but points of light, but the satellite zoomed into the image and detail blossomed forth. Single and two story wooden structures burned brightly, illuminating the few streets of the small village. Near the edge of town, a semicircle of lit objects caught Sarah's attention.
“What's that?” Sarah asked.
Seto zoomed the satellite in further. A scene of horror unfolded. Soldiers and adepts stood around as a pile of bodies burned on the ground nearby. Some of the bodies were small.
“Get Corriea for me. Now.” Sarah fumed as hatred for Merik welled up within her.
Sarah waited while Seto made the connection. “Corriea was on crew rest, Captain. Give him a moment.”
“Have him wake Alarin too, but not Eislen.”
“Aye,” Seto answered.
Corriea finally appeared on the screen. “Captain. Good to see you.”
“Is Eislen in earshot?”
Corriea looked puzzled. “No.”
“Lieutenant, ask Alarin why the adepts are burning Kampana.”
Alarin pushed in next to Corriea. “What did you say?”
“Send them the feed, Seto.”
Seto sent the satellite imagery to the Outhouse.
“For the love of Faroo,” Alarin hissed. “This is my fault. I should have warned them, I thought when I left she’d— I must return to Zeffult immediately.”
“What do you mean this is your fault?” Sarah asked.
Alarin’s face was frantic. “I left. Merik cared about me as much as she cared about anything. She’s doing this to get at me. She either assumes I'll find out... or she just wants to kill people. It's hard to tell which. If I return she can spend her anger on me.”
There was no way Sarah was going to agree to that. “That's not going to happen. Unless you and Peter find a way to amplify your powers to match hers, then you're throwing your life away and we need you. I don't intend to live without a sky forever.”
Alarin’s eyes showed his distress. “She will not stop, Sarah Dayson. Her madness grows. Occasionally I catch glimpses of it.”